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Sinusitis Strategies

Along with the cold and snow, winter months bring extra challenges for sinusitis sufferers. Dry air is tough on sensitive mucous membranes, and closed windows and poor ventilation can lead to the buildup of noxious particles (including fumes from harsh cleaning products, paint, perfumes, etc.), the enemies of sinusitis and allergy sufferers. Winter is also prime time for catching colds, which like allergies, often precede sinus infections.

To learn how to best cope with sinusitis at this time of year and to more effectively treat ongoing chronic sinusitis in any season, I consulted Rob Ivker, DO, a family doctor for 35 years, past president of the American Holistic Medical Association and author of Sinus Survival: The Holistic Medical Treatment for Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds and Sinusitis (Tarcher). He shared a number of strategies to ease sinus suffering this winter and throughout the rest of the year.

KEEP AIR CLEAN AND MOIST

Whatever the season, a primary objective is always to create optimal air in your work and home environment, says Dr. Ivker. This means air that is clean (you can't see or smell it), moist (between 35% and 55% relative humidity), negative-ion and oxygen-filled, and warm (between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit). The nose and sinuses are the body's air filter and we breathe about 23,000 times a day. He advises...

When choosing a heating system, radiant heat/baseboard heating systems are preferable to forced hot-air heating systems through ducts since it keeps the hot dry air and dust particles from flying through the house.
If you have a forced hot-air heating system, use an efficient furnace filter (such as Filtrete made by 3M) and change it monthly or more often during the winter months.

• Have your home's air ducts cleaned every three years.
• Fill your home with high oxygen producing and air filtering plants (such as spider plants, chrysanthemums, striped dracaena and Boston ferns), which can remove toxins from the air and generate oxygen.
• Place a warm mist humidifier in your bedroom. This keeps air moist, preventing sinuses from becoming dry and irritated.
• Invest in a negative-ion generator. These devices efficiently clean air by binding with dust particles, mold, animal dander, smoke, bacteria and viruses (all of which have a positive charge) with the subsequently heavier particle dropping out of the air and falling to tabletops, floors, etc. The end result is that the harmful particles are removed from your breathing space. There is also speculation within the scientific community that ion-filled air might also have a beneficial effect on mucous membranes, lung function and even mood. (Some psychological studies have shown negative ion-filled air, similar to the high ion content found by seacoasts, waterfalls, pine forests and mountaintops, can improve mood.) Studies have also shown that ionized air has improved the lung capacity of asthmatics. Ionizers that do not emit ozone are best (ozone is an irritant to the mucous membrane), says Dr. Ivker. \
• Consider a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arrestor) air cleaner. According to Dr. Ivker, these are also highly efficient in their ability to purify air. However, they have none of the other beneficial effects of negative ions.

• Avoid air pollutants, strong odors and fumes. Secondhand smoke is the single, most harmful indoor air pollutant, warns Dr. Ivker. Others include radon, mold, dust, harsh cleaning products and air fresheners. Whenever possible keep chemical products out of your home, and instead use environment-friendly "green" cleaning products (baking soda, vinegar, borax, etc.), which are less irritating to the sinuses.

SOOTHE YOUR SINUSES WHILE HEALING YOUR MUCOUS MEMBRANES

Dr. Ivker's regimen for healing mucous membranes includes saline spray, steam inhalation, inhalation of medicinal eucalyptus oil, irrigation and drinking lots of water, in addition to the air cleaning and moistening recommendations above. These strategies combine to reduce chronic inflammation, congestion, increased mucus secretion (post-nasal drip), hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity of the mucous membranes. His program includes...

• Use saline spray to help keep mucous membranes moist as well as to irrigate the particles that you may have inhaled. Ideally, use a saline spray containing aloe vera, such as the Sinus Survival Spray or Nature-Aid, for its healing properties on the mucous membrane.
   

• Steam sinus problems away. Use a steam inhaler (available at most drugstores) three or four times daily. To reduce congestion and inflammation even further, add a medicinal eucalyptus oil to it, such as the Sinus Survival Eucalyptus Oil. It can also be applied to tissue and inhaled frequently throughout the day.

• After steaming, irrigate your sinuses. This can be done with a Neti pot, bulb syringe or the SinuPulse Elite® Advanced Nasal Sinus Irrigation System which utilizes pulsating technology. This device is by far the most efficient method for irrigation and is available at many pharmacies or here.

• Drink plenty of bottled or filtered water. The average daily recommended amount for adults is a half-ounce per pound of body weight. If you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink 80 ounces a day.

PUMP UP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

A strong immune system makes you better equipped to resist not only sinusitis, but the seasonal colds and flu that frequently lead to sinus infections in susceptible individuals. For treating, preventing and often curing acute and chronic sinusitis, Dr. Ivker recommends...

Get seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. This will help keep your immune system operating at peak capacity.

• Watch your diet.
• Avoid inflammatory foods such as sugar, refined white flour, fried items, excess red meat, partially hydrogenated oils and additives. Also sharply reduce milk and dairy products, which can increase mucus drainage. Instead, fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables, organic non-gluten whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, etc.), beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Choose nondairy sources of protein such as fish and organic chicken or turkey.
• Consider supplements. Dr. Ivker often prescribes vitamin C (ester C), vitamin E, a good multivitamin, selenium, grape seed extract (take on an empty stomach), fish oil and flaxseed oil on a regular basis for preventive maintenance. With an active sinus infection, you should add echinacea, high-potency garlic (such as Allimax) and the homeopathic remedies Kali sulphuricum and Kali bichromicum (these homeopathics are most effective if taken right at the onset of an acute sinus infection).For those who take antibiotics regularly or even intermittently... an allergic reaction to fungal (including candida) organisms was identified in 1999 by the Mayo Clinic as a key contributing factor to the majority of cases of severe chronic sinusitis. This problem occurs most commonly as a result of the over-use of antibiotics. A naturopathic physician or DO can help diagnose and provide a treatment protocol to reduce the candida overgrowth.
• Get moving. Regular exercise increases your energy level and resistance to infections.
• Feel your feelings, especially repressed anger... find your passion and purpose in life... and connect with loved ones, yourself and your spiritual side. Unconditional love is life's most powerful healer, and the perceived loss of love is our greatest health risk. To create optimal health in all areas of your life, you must be committed to your mental, emotional, social and spiritual health.

MAKE YOUR ENVIRONMENT SINUS-FRIENDLY

If allergies act as a trigger of your sinus problems, as they do with nearly half of all sinus sufferers, it's important to keep them under control. To make your environment sinus-friendly and inhospitable to allergies and sinusitis, Dr. Ivker recommends...

Identify your triggers -- foods (most common trigger) and food additives , mold, dust mites, animal dander, chemicals, etc. -- and reduce your exposure to them.

Keep your home and workspace clean and dust-free.

Stay on top of mold. For example, wash your humidifier's tank once a week with vinegar and water. Otherwise it becomes home to mold and bacteria that are recirculated through the air.

Change pillow and mattress covers frequently, and wash bedding and clothing in hot water.

Remove wall-to-wall carpeting and heavy drapes, and invest in a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

This winter, don't let sinusitis keep you home from work or spoil your ski vacation. By paying attention to a few key strategies that address the causes of the problem -- keeping air moist and clean, practicing good nasal hygiene, supporting your immune system, keeping candida in check and controlling any allergies -- you can face the cold and snow infection free.

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