Chronic Sinusitis

Overview: Chronic Sinusitis

• Chronic sinusitis affects nearly 15% of the population or 1 out of every 7 people.

• Twenty-two percent of all women between the ages of 45 and 64 years have chronic sinusitis (15% of men in this age group have it), an incidence approximately equal to that of hypertension.

• Sinusitis is second only to arthritis among the most common chronic diseases for women in this age group.

• Medical costs for diagnosing and treating this condition are estimated to be greater than $10 billion annually.

• When sinusitis is considered together with allergic rhinitis (the fourth most common chronic condition), asthma, and chronic bronchitis (the eighth and ninth most common conditions, respectively), respiratory disease resulting from these ailments affects more than 90 million people—nearly 1 out of every 3 U.S. residents—and thus constitutes our first environmental epidemic.

• In the 1960s, not 1 of these 4 conditions was among the top 10 chronic health problems.

Important Points to Consider

• An allergic inflammatory response to fungal organisms is an important etiologic factor in chronic sinusitis.

• For the first 21 days, avoid starch and high-sugar foods, including fruit. Also avoid yeast and mold foods.

• A basic dietary recommendations is to avoid milk and dairy products, sugar, wheat, caffeine, and alcohol, as well as to increase intake of fresh organic vegetables and fruits, whole grains, fiber, and protein.

Candida Questionnaire and Score Sheet

Prevention Prescription

• Become more aware of the quality and quantity of the air you are breathing, water you are drinking, the food you are eating, the exercise and sleep you are getting, and, most importantly, the stress you are experiencing, especially anger with yourself or others.

• Pay more attention to how each of the foregoing factors affects the condition of your sinuses.

• Once you have learned what factors contribute most to the way your sinuses feel, then determine which of the recommendations in the earlier Integrative Therapy section are consistently effective in improving the way you feel.

• The daily practices that are most helpful to nearly every sinus sufferer are adequate sleep and water intake, elimination of dairy products and a significant reduction in sugar intake, use of a saline or aloe nasal spray, inhalation of medicinal eucalyptus oil, steam nasal irrigation (any method), journaling, anger processing, and a spiritual or meditative practice.

• Repeat to yourself several times a day:

  • I am always doing the best I can.

  • There are no mistakes, only lessons.

  • Everything is happening at just the right time.

  • I love and approve of myself.

  • Remember that you are a unique individual with a different set of needs, desires, beliefs, and gifts than anyone else.

  • As you heighten your level of self-awareness, you will be much better able to care for yourself, heal your life, and potentially cure your chronic sinusitis.

Therapeutic Review: Chronic Sinusitis

Lifestyle

• Sleep: Adequate good-quality sleep can help improve immune function. 

• Use a negative ion generator as an air cleaner in the bedroom and office. 

• Saline nasal spray: Use daily every 2 to 3 hours. Saline sprays containing aloe vera and grapefruit seed extract are most helpful. 

• Steam inhaler: Use this device for 15 to 20 minutes two or three times daily. This is an important one to balance temperaments of the body.

Exercise

• Engage in regular aerobic exercise three to five times per week for at least 20 to 30 minutes.

Nutrition

• Avoid milk and dairy products, sugar, wheat, caffeine, and alcohol. This is an important one.

• Increase intake of fresh organic vegetables and fruits, whole grains, fiber, and protein. 

• Increase intake of soups and broths.

• Increase water intake (filtered or distilled) to at least 1⁄2 oz/lb of body weight. 

• If candidiasis is suspected (e.g., history of multiple antibiotics), strict adherence to a Candida-control diet is recommended. This diet avoids yeast-containing foods such as breads and foods that promote yeast growth such as refined sugars, processed foods, cheeses, peanuts, vinegar, and alcoholic beverages.

• Medicinal eucalyptus oil: This can be added to the steam for optimal benefit or inhaled from a tissue. 

• Nasal irrigation: Use one of several methods for nasal irrigation, although a pulsatile irrigator is most effective. Perform two to three times daily. This modality is best performed following steam inhalation therapy. 

Supplements

• Vitamin C: 1000 to 2000 mg three times daily 

• Vitamin D : 5000 to 10,000 units daily

• Zinc: 15-30 mg daily

• Grape seed extract: 100 to 300 mg daily in the morning on an empty stomach 

• Selenium: 100 to 200 mcg daily 

• Essential fatty acids: 2 tablespoons/day of flaxseed oil and

• 3 to 4 g docosahexaenoic acid/ eicosapentaenoic acid daily

Botanicals

• Garlic as 100% pure allicin (Allimed or Allimax)

• Probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus

• Echinacea: 2 dropperfuls four to five times per day daily for treating a sinus infection 

• Grapefruit seed extract: 250 mg twice daily for treating a sinus infection or fungal sinusitis 

Pharmaceuticals

• Fluconazole or other antifungal drugs, if the history and symptoms indicate Candida or yeast overgrowth and fungal sinusitis 

• Candida-control diet 

• Antifungal supplements

Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Acupuncture therapy with or without Chinese herbal therapy can be used for chronic sinusitis.

Spirituality

• Prayer, meditation

• Gratitude, intuition, spiritual practices: observing a weekly fast.

• Forgiveness, communication exercises: shared vision, attentive listening

• Support groups

Key Web Sources

• Respiratory Healer Network. www.respiratoryhealer.com.

• Sinus Survival. www.sinussurvival.com.