The 5 Best Teas for Sinus Drainage (Teas That Put a Plug in Your Cold)
Imagine—you’re up next for your presentation in class, about to present your business proposition in front of your colleagues, getting ready for a date—and your nose is running, eyes are puffed like soufflés, and your head is squeezed so tight it feels like your skull shrunk in the shower. Sinus problems always find a way to catch us at the most inconvenient and embarrassing of times.
You might reach for cold medicine or pills that send your head into a fuzz, at a loss of how else to handle your clogged, running nose. How can a nose be stuffed AND leaky, at the same time, anyway?
When we are sick, we do not have the energy to ruminate on various cures and treatments. We want relief, and we want it now! But what if we told you picking up the strongest, worst-tasting bottle on the shelf is not the best or fastest-acting choice?
Enter tea, the underdog of hot beverages, right under cappuccinos and hot cocoa. With so many varieties, it is no wonder several types of herbal remedies can soothe your cold symptoms. The best teas for sinus drainage address the real cause of your congestion.
What Causes Sinus Problems
Most of us take to blowing our nose every hour of every day when our sinuses act up, but we are inadvertently making it worse. That is because most sinus problems are not caused by excess mucus, but by the inflammation of your nasal passages.
Bacteria, a virus, and even fungus can cause this inflammation, making it difficult for your nose to drain, and making the inflammation worse.
Blowing your nose frequently contributes to the already inflamed and painful swelling of your nasal passages, making it more painful and uncomfortable to breathe.
Once your cold medicine wears off, you may end up feeling even more stuffy and pained.
Avoid the wear-off all together with your choice (or combination) of five teas we picked specifically for their medicinal and sometimes antimicrobial properties.
The warmth of these teas soothes the throat and nose, treats the ache, and can even address the bacterial or viral origins of your sinus problems.
Safety Procedures
If you have been suffering from sinus drainage or painful sinus symptoms for more than a week with no change in intensity, consult your doctor immediately.
This is especially true if your symptoms are in conjunction with a fever and prolonged illness. You may have something called chronic sinusitis, and it may be a symptom of something more concerning than a common cold.
Just feeling under the weather? Then settle in, grab your favorite, needlessly large mug, and get ready for relief!
The 5 Best Teas for Sinus Drainage:
1. Yogi Ginger Tea
You may have heard about the wonder of ginger, an apparent elixir for all sorts of illnesses. While we cannot claim ginger to be a miracle drug, there is substantive research on why ginger is so soothing for colds, indigestion, and yes, sinus drainage.
Scientists have found that ginger actually passes muster as a treatment for many of the ailments ginger-lovers claim it cures. It has antioxidant, antinausea properties, and most importantly, anti-inflammatory properties.
Studies have shown that ginger is effective against mild arthritis, headaches, muscle pain from exercise, and inflammation associated with colds.
Eager to try it for yourself? Pick up ginger tea that has no added sugar or other substances for some major relief.
2. Traditional Medicinals: Throat Coat (Lemon Echinacea)
If you are a singer, you probably have a stash of this in your pantry already. A singer’s voice is their most prized possession, after all. If lost to a sinus infection, they risk their livelihoods.
Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat’s respectable reputation among performers has slowly spread to the general population.
Known for easing throat pain and cold symptoms, performers drink it when they are sick, a little off, and even when they are in perfect health, claiming it prevents colds and sinus problems with a gentle and effective “coat” that makes your passages smooth and pain-free, making it easier for the show to go on. Some even drink it daily!
There are many different types and flavors of Throat Coat, but the lemon Echinacea flavor is the most effective against colds and inflammation (and apparently the best tasting!)
3. Traditional Medicinals: Organic Breathe Easy Tea
Traditional Medicinals has proved itself so worthy, it has taken two spots on our list! Specifically designed to address respiration issues, Breathe Easy tea works to open up your passages and soothe the inflammation not just for sinus infections, but for more serious conditions like asthma.
We do not endorse replacing all your medication with tea if you have severe asthma, but many fans of Breathe Easy tea who have asthma say it “opens up the chest and face” and helps calm their symptoms. If you have a common cold and sinus drainage, you may experience similar effects!
4. Antimicrobial Tea
Did you know that some tea can be enjoyed as a drink and also used as an antimicrobial nasal rinse? Ingredients like sage, elderflower, garlic, and thyme that are diluted into tea have been very effective in treating clogged noses and the real cause of sinus drainage.
5. Eucalyptus Leaf Tea
There are a lot of good reasons why eucalyptus shows up in a lot of cough drop brands’ ingredient lists. Eucalyptus leaves (not the oil) that are boiled into tea provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.
The smell is invigorating and relaxing, not just for your nose, but for your less-than-bright mood as you ride out any other symptoms of a cold.
Go for the most natural and least processed tea that has the actual eucalyptus leaves, like Buddha Teas’ loose leaf variety. Eucalyptus oil itself is more potent, but can have less desirable side effects.
If you are suffering from sinus drainage or other sinus problems, our list of teas may help you find relief. When you are very sick, it is easy to forget that most cold symptoms disappear within 7-10 days. In the meantime, tea can serve as a comforting and healing presence to help you back on the path to health.