Natural's not in it

My last post was about changes in diet being potentially helpful when combating sinus issues. This post follows a similar thread and will include my thoughts on a more holistic approach to treating sinusitis. I have already covered my love for all things Neti (2 posts ago), so we will table that. But another thing to try if you are attempting to keep the nasal passages clear is steam. Get yourself a good room vaporizer or 2. Definitely one next to your bed and also one at work if you sit in one place more or less all day. I have also heard much about yoga and acupuncture being useful in keeping things clear up there. Some people swear by horseradish and other spicy foods (EATING them, not somehow, uhhh, applying them to the nose. Ok never mind.). The point here is simply to look for ways to work WITH your body instead of against it. IMHO things like medication or surgery should not be viewed as the primary or "automatic" choice. So whether it's herbal tea, changes in diet, neti pot, or even balloon sinuplasty for more advance cases - make sure you are considering things like this in mind. Things that are less invasive and don't alter your body or your natural healing mechanisms. As always I would love to hear your comments! Happy Holidays and take care everybody.

Changes in your diet that can help your sinuses!

First a couple disclaimers:

#1 I am not a dietician. #2 the fact that I am dispensing diet advice is a bit of a hoot. And while I am far from a fast food junkie I will confess to a HUGE weakness for a certain potato product from a certain golden-arched establishment.

But there really ARE some simple things you can do, diet-wise, to help with your sinus problems. The degree to which you try this stuff can be adjusted based upon how bad your sinuses are.

The first is to eliminate dairy. Eggs might be ok, but try and look at lactose-free milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. Soy substitutes can work really well too.

Second, try and eliminate wheat. And yes, I realize that this one is even harder than the first. Health food stores or Whole Foods should have substitutes.

Dairy and wheat are the two main culprits. And unfortunately they are also two of the more common things found in the food we love. It should also be said that you don't have to go completely wheat/dairy -free, nor do you have to do both at once. Experiment with simply easing back a bit and take it from there!

It can be done, and I have seen folks close to me have great success once they commit to sticking to it!

Neti Mania! (Or, Zen and the Art of Nasal Passage Maintenance)

My first pass at this sentence began with "I have received numerous requests ...." but I decided that that was a lie since requests have not exactly been "numerous". However I have received requestS (plural) to write some more, about some of the specific things mentioned elsewhere in the blog. So here we go. A post about ... NETI POTS! Or is it "netti", with two Ts? I have seen it both ways. But I like one T so there it is. I am a huge fan of neti pots. And while it is true that they take some getting used to I am here to tell you that it is definitely worth it. Whether you have sinus trouble or not, I highly recommend making nasal irrigation a part of your routine! I feel like I should also point out that the actual POT is not the point. Irrigation is the point, and neti is the most popular (and in my opinion easiest) way to get 'er done. Needless to say keeping those nasal passages clean goes a LONG way toward combating sinusitis, as well as keeping sinusitis from getting chronic. But as I mentioned above, it's good practice across the board. And in case you are wondering no I do NOT have a neti pot manufacturing plant in my backyard. At least as far as you know, HA! I think next I will write about either FESS or balloon sinuplasty. Unless anyone else has any bright ideas - ? If so please send them along. Maybe it makes more sense to write another post on a topic closer to the neti. So maybe I'll do that. Ok that's it. Have a great day!

Levels of invasiveness

From what I have gathered and/or experienced, there are many ways to approach Chronic Sinusitis treatment. Some people are more comfortable with things like antibiotics and surgeries. Some people are committed to exhausting all of the more natural remedies before resorting to all that.

As with anything it is best to listen to your body and to have an open dialog with your doctor. 

It will come as no surprise to those that know me that I decided to ... use POWERPOINT! Here's a nifty little diagram I came up with. I'm thinking about having it printed on t-shirts ....

Wikipedia

When I'm doing one of my online research jaunts I usually start with a visit to Wikipedia. Below are links to what I feel are the main key topics surrounding Chronic Sinusitis. It's a great place to start!

Sinusitis/Chronic Sinusitis

The basics on the condition, and what distinguishes "chronic" from regular.

GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease. Like acid reflux but worse. Sinusitis-like symptoms are often caused by food allergies / GERD.

Canidida

A reaction to certain types of yeast. It gets blamed for all kinds of health problems.

Neti Pot

Small teapot-like thing used for rinsing sinuses. Lots of people swear by their neti as a cure for all kinds of things. 

Balloon Sinuplasty

This is a newer procedure, presented as another option vs. FESS.

Sinus Surgery (FESS)

This is the "traditional" form of sinus surgery. 

First post!

Hi. Please visit the "about me" section to learn, well, about me.

I've been researching Chronic Sinusitis for awhile now and needed to organize my findings. Someone said "why not a blog?" so here it is. My blog.

More soon.