Over the years of treatment of maxillary sinusitis, a number of natural ingredients have been discovered that can help defeat this difficult disease. Phytopreparations are most popular due to their low price, ease of preparation and the absence of side effects inherent in pharmacological drugs. The most commonly used decoctions of various medicinal herbs, honey, propolis. However, knowledgeable people claim that the treatment of sinusitis with bay leaves gives a very good effect.
The chemical composition and useful properties of bay leaves
Since ancient times, remedies based on laurel leaves have been used for various ailments, in particular for hypertension, skin diseases (scaly lichen), and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. The leaves also have diuretic and sedative properties.
The secret of many beneficial properties of the plant lies in its chemical composition. Laurel essential oil includes biologically active natural hydrocarbons of the terpenoid and terpene groups (cineole, terpinine acetate, sabinene), as well as other substances that suppress the activity of bacteria. Cineol (eucalyptol) also has mucolytic and expectorant effects.
The fact that bay leaves are very effective for sinusitis is evidenced by studies of Japanese and Lebanese scientists. In the process of studying laurel leaves, powerful antibacterial substances were identified in their composition: kaempferol C2 and C3, which suppress even resistant staphylococci. Moreover, the activity of kaempferols was even higher than that of chemical antibiotics such as tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin. Later, the effect of bay leaf extract on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, enterococci, staphylococci, incl. golden, which often causes the development of sinusitis.
For the preparation of preparations according to folk recipes, it is best to take dry leaves that have a light olive color, which during heat treatment changes to a rich green, like freshly harvested laurel leaves.
Yellow color may indicate poor quality raw materials. You should also pay attention to the shelf life of the product, since after a year the leaves largely lose their properties and aroma.
Indications and contraindications for bay leaf treatment
Treatment of sinusitis with bay leaf can be used in such cases:
- acute illness caused by viruses or bacteria;
- chronic sinusitis in remission or exacerbation.
In the presence of purulent contents in the sinuses, it is advisable not to carry out actions associated with heating 
tissues, that is, compresses and inhalations are best done at the catarrhal stage of the disease. Rinsing the nose is important for any form of the disease. With odontogenic, allergic or polypous sinusitis, the use of laurel-based drugs must be agreed with the attending physician.
Despite the relative safety of herbal medicine, one must not forget about the individual intolerance of certain natural components. Therefore, if, with the internal or external use of funds from laurel leaves, the patient develops alarming manifestations (rash, redness on the skin, vomiting, nausea), then it is better to focus on other methods of treatment.
Bay leaf for sinusitis should be used with caution in some categories of patients:
- Pregnant women. A negative effect on the fruit from the biologically active components of the plant is possible. Only rinsing the nose with a decoction of laurel is allowed, while it is not recommended to swallow the liquid that has got into the throat.
- Children under the age of 10. Saturated infusions and decoctions contain many bactericidal components, they can affect the digestive and nervous system of the child. Inhalation can be done with caution, as well as compresses.
- For hypotonic people. Since plant-based products lower blood pressure, their use with hypotonic patients can cause a pronounced drop in pressure with all the ensuing consequences (darkening in the eyes, dizziness, pain in the back of the head).
Taking broths inside and carrying out inhalations with them
Considering the fact that the infectious onset of sinusitis often becomes possible when the body's resistance to external stimuli is weakened, one of the important tasks of therapy is to increase the patient's immunity. Taken orally, a decoction of dry laurel leaves is an excellent natural immunomodulator.
There are two main ways to prepare laurel broth:
- Throw 25-35 medium-sized laurel leaves into a saucepan of water (about 1.5 liters). The water on the stove is brought to a boil, but not boiled. The contents of the saucepan must be poured into a thermos and infused for at least 6 hours. Drink the broth half an hour or an hour before meals three times a day, 100 ml, to improve the taste, you can add a spoonful of fresh honey. It is undesirable to take this remedy for young children, pregnant women, people with a sick stomach or intestines, as well as those with low blood pressure.
- If time is short, then you can use the express method. 2-3 leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 15 minutes. The reception method is the same as in the previous recipe, the only difference is that the infusion is less saturated.
Inhalation can be carried out only at the catarrhal (initial) stage of sinusitis, when the bacterial microflora has not yet penetrated into the accessory chambers, or after overcoming the acute form of the disease, at the stage of recovery.
It is strictly forbidden to breathe hot steam in the presence of pus in the sinuses, this can cause a sharp deterioration in the patient's condition.
It is also better to postpone the procedure if the patient's body temperature is above 37.5 degrees.
- The decoction prepared according to the above recipes can be used for inhalation. To do this, it is enough to bring it to a boil and remove from heat. Covering your head with a towel or a blanket, you need to take measured, calm breaths with your nose for 10-12 minutes. Since the liquid is very hot, care should be taken not to lean too low over the liquid or inhale deeply, so as not to burn the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
- 3-4 drops of laurel essential oil bought in a pharmacy are added to 0.5 liters of boiling water. You need to breathe 2 times a day for 10 minutes.
For a full procedure and to achieve a therapeutic effect, the nasal passages should be cleaned before inhalation: rinse them, blow your nose, drip with vasoconstrictor drops.
Gargles, nose drops and laurel compresses
The bactericidal properties of the chemical compounds contained in the fresh and dried leaves of the noble laurel are active against the microbes on the mucous membranes and in the accumulating exudate. You can thin mucus, ensure its evacuation from the nose and disinfect the epithelium with the help of nasal drops or rinsing.
The most effective nasal drops are laurel oil. They can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a long time, using as needed. The recipe is as follows:
- A glass of vegetable oil is heated in a water bath to a boil. Better to use refined olive oil.
- 50 g (3 packs) of pre-chopped bay leaves are poured with hot oil and infused for two weeks.
- After that, the oil is filtered and stored in a glass container in the refrigerator.
You need to drip 2 times a day, 1 drop in each nasal passage. This is a good remedy for preventing exacerbations of chronic sinusitis, while the therapy lasts several weeks.
Laurel leaf compresses are used to warm the sinuses locally and stimulate the body to fight infection by increasing local circulation and attracting more lymphocytes to the affected organ. They should not be done for acute sinusitis or purulent discharge.
- Put 3 packs of dry bay leaves in a small saucepan and fill them with water so that it covers them slightly. Some recommend grinding the leaves in a mortar or coffee grinder to a powdery state to prepare a stronger broth.
- Bring everything to a boil, then cool for 5-7 minutes. If powder was used, then the solution must be filtered twice.
- A piece of gauze or natural cotton fabric folded several times is soaked in the resulting liquid and placed on the face on the side of the nose to cover the affected sinus. From above, to maintain the temperature, the compress is covered with cellophane or a warm towel.
- Keep the soaked fabric until it cools down, then moisten it again and put it on your face, 3-4 repetitions must be done.
- At the end of the procedure, it is advisable to go to bed, take cover and drink warm herbal tea. Hypothermia is unacceptable, so it is better to do a compress before bedtime.
With the same broth, diluted with an equal amount of water, you can rinse your nose daily.
