ARTICLES and LINKS

Sinusitus
by Dr. David Ramaley

According to the Alternative Medicine Review, approximately 14 percent of the population suffers from sinusitis. While sinusitis may not be on the front burner for you, the symptoms can greatly decrease the quality of life of those who suffer from it. People who have sinusitis experience one of two types: acute or chronic.

Acute sinusitis is defined as an infection that lasts less than 12 weeks. Many of those who have it experience congestion, overproduction of mucus and pain in the forehead, eyes and surrounding facial areas. An article published in the Cochrane Database System Review in 2006 reviewed over 45 different medical articles on sinusitis and concluded that about 95 percent of all acute sinus infections are caused by a viral rather than a bacterial infection. Thus antibiotics do nothing to alleviate the problem. The article also stated that most sufferers who did not use antibiotics healed just as quickly as those who did. Therefore, treatment should focus on herbs that are antiviral and promote mucus drainage. It has been my experience that the herbs listed below effectively treat these infections.

Chronic sinusitis occurs when an infection lasts longer than 12 weeks. The average sufferer of this type of sinusitis typically has already been prescribed several rounds of antibiotics and seems to be getting worse. Often a CT scan or MRI is taken of the sinuses, and the patient is diagnosed with impacted sinuses with concurrent infection. More antibiotics and/or nasal steroids are usually prescribed. Often, surgery is offered as a treatment option. While some of these drugs and procedures may be helpful in a handful of cases, in the long term, the sinus symptoms generally do not resolve and, in fact, they typically become worse.

Most chronic sinus infections are caused primarily by molds and fungi and secondarily by allergies. In 1999, the renowned Mayo Clinic published an article that found 93 percent of all chronic sinus infections are mold and/or fungus related. The report stated that antifungals — not antibiotics — are the treatment of choice. The study concluded that a treatment focused on eliminating mold would result in clearing the sinus problems. Naturopaths have long treated these infections accordingly. I myself have treated hundreds of cases of chronic sinusitis and almost always find molds and/or fungi to be the culprit. Treatment with herbs to get rid of the molds is nearly always successful in alleviating chronic sinusitis.

A good book on sinusitis is Sinus Survival: A Self-Help Guide by Robert S. Ivker, D.O. The book contains practical information, including some dietary recommendations.

To get rid of an acute sinus infection: I recommend the following herbs: Chinese skullcap, Schizonepta, Astragalus and Chinese cinnamon twig. These herbs help fight a bacterial or viral infection and open the sinus passageways. A similar formula called Sinutone, made by The Herbalist, can be purchased at almost any health food store. I also suggest taking quercetin, nettle root, bromelain and N-acetylcysteine to drain the sinuses and reduce inflammation.

To alleviate chronic sinusitis: I recommend dietary changes and the following herbs: oregano oil, sage leaf and red thyme oil. Undecenoic acid (an extract from castor bean oil) can also be used. There are lots of companies that make these as a combined formula and they can easily be obtained at any health food store. I also suggest taking two capsules a day of acidophilus.

My dietary recommendations entail eliminating from your diet all foods that contain yeast, such as bread, wine and beer, and refined sugar. I also recommend eating no more than one piece of fruit per day. I suggest that this diet be followed for four weeks; find information about it at www.healingyou.com/living/article2.asp.