Sinusitis is an energy-depleting complaint that seriously interferes with sufferers breathing patterns. It usually leads to a dry mouth, bad breath and a general feeling of unwellness.

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Nowadays sinusitis is treated by painful surgery or with over-the-counter remedies like nasal sprays. The most popular of them contain xylometazoline hydrochloride, a substance that leads to rebound symptoms if taken over a period longer than two or three weeks.

It is also not recommended for people with heart or kidney problems or high blood pressure.

Here’s a simple and safe home remedy that removes mucus from the sinuses and reduces inflammation.

You will need a nasal spray bottle, which can be recycled from a proprietary nasal spray.

Take 1/2 cup or small wine glass of water (filtered or pre-boiled) and add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Put in a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and mix to dissolve.

Pour the liquid into the sprayer bottle and shake.

To use, shake the bottle and spray once up each nostril. Repeat several times a day, especially before bedtime.

Many people are chained to a low salt diet for chronic or acute medical reasons. High blood pressure and kidney disease probably top the list.

Some people go onto low salt regimes to improve mental function which is responsive to salt intake. It’s known that the normal body needs only half a gram of salt a day, way below the official guidelines of 6 - 7 grams.

If you ask them which foods they miss most, they will likely say “cheese”. Its particular flavor and texture can be quite addictive.

However, cheese is very high in salt.

There are exceptions. Some soft versions, like cream cheeses — usually not proprietary brands — can be salt-free. The problem is they don’t really taste or feel like cheese at all.

One solution is Swiss Emmental which is low in salt, but tastes very much like cheese. The Tesco brand contains only 0.2 grams per 30-gram typical serving. Others may vary, so check the labeling.

Bear in mind also that a value for sodium needs to be multiplied by 2.5 to get the full salt content.

Cheese needn’t be a no-go area for low salt dieters.