June 15, 2023 general

A lot of people can feel a little stuffed up when smoke blows in from forest fires or the pollen or mold counts are especially high. Head colds are obviously also often to blame for stuffiness. However, if symptoms continue past that initial trigger, you may have chronic sinusitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes that line the sinus cavities in the hollow bones of the face (e.g. cheek bones and behind the eyebrows). That inflammation can prevent mucus from draining out of the sinuses causing swelling, pain and creating a welcoming environment for infection with viruses, bacteria and fungi if they are not already there. Read Mayo Clinic’s official description of sinusitis and their advice about when to see a doctor. Sinusitis affects millions of people every year and is often almost automatically treated with antibiotics even when that might not address the cause and can lead to antibiotic resistance. (If the cause is fungus or yeast, the antibiotics actually make the problem worse.)

If the sinuses suddenly flare up dramatically with no obvious environmental cause, it is probably an infection like a cold. See the HBN library’s natural recommendations. And do remember Peter McCullough, MD’s recommendation to use an antimicrobial nasal flush and gargle to prevent and treat any upper respiratory infection (including not only colds and flu, but also covid!).

Chronic sinusitis may cause you to breathe through your mouth and wake up with an uncomfortable dry mouth. Chronic problems are usually caused by either allergies or fungus. In any case, consider these steps (some of which were suggested in one of Dr. Ron Overberg’s newsletters).

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Avoid alcohol, which can cause your sinus membranes to swell.
• Eat a variety of colorful foods, like fruits and vegetables, to boost your immune system and reduce inflammation in your body.
• For allergies, vitamin C has antihistamine effects as well as helping immune function.
• Improve air quality, especially in the bedroom. Check out the ionbox.
• Put a towel over your head and inhale steam from a source of boiling water (being careful not to get burned) and/or apply warm packs to your face.
• Try nasal cleaning (see below) which clears mucous, dust and pollen while moisturizing dry tissues. (Incidentally, this simple, inexpensive and soothing practice is a purification technique done by many prior to performing yoga. Some religions do it before going to prayer.)

Nasal cleansing

While quite common in some cultures, the idea of nasal washes takes some getting used to for most Americans. Guidelines:

• Use pure water (e.g. distilled or reverse osmosis ) water that’s warm like body temperature. Avoid hot water.
• Mix in about ¼ teaspoon of natural, non-iodized salt or the powder provided with nasal cleansing kits.
• Add to a neti pot or cleansing device. (Look for neti pots made from lead-free ceramic that is dishwasher safe.)
• Here are some examples:
  • Navage Nasal Care Starter Bundle Nose Cleaner, 20 SaltPods, Plus Bonus 10 SaltPods (I am tempted to buy one of these.)
  • Ceramic Neti Pot Premium Handcrafted, Nose Cleaner for Sinus Dishwasher Safe with 2 Silicone Nozzle Tip, 225 Ml Capacity, White Color
  • NeilMed Sinus Rinse Kit with Xylitol, 50 Count (I picked this one because xylitol is one of the antimicrobial substances recommended by Dr. McCullough.)
  • One of the above is probably a better choice, but often, I just mix the salted water in a cereal bowl. Then, leaning over a sink with my tissues nearby, I stick my nose in the water and inhale till I feel it start going into my throat. I let most of the water run out into the sink, and then I blow my nose. After a few of these I pinch my nose and bend over and turn my head side to side, so that I know the liquid is getting into the sinuses. It sounds weird, but seems to work for me. Then I use a xylitol sinus spray like this one.

Note: I often link to items on Amazon so that readers will know exactly what I’m talking about, and it is a source with whom most folks are familiar. To be fully transparent, I want you to know that HBN is an Amazon affiliate and is paid a few pennies when customers buy something after going through one of our links. Assuming I remember to put in the code, those pennies eventually add up and once in a while we receive something like $15 which isn’t much but does help the show.