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S PECIAL S INUS I SSUE
July
In this issue:

Fatigue and body pain
linked to sinusitis

Cherries for pain?

Vitamin D and back pain

Enzymes for pain?

Back pain

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Allergies and Fungus in Sinusitis
In the Archives of Environmental
Health (July 2003;58(7):433-441),
a study looked at the sinus lining in
639 patients diagnosed with
chronic sinusitis. It found that
many of the cases were due to a
high fungal load in the air and in
the sinus lining. Reducing air
exposure to fungus and saline
irrigation improved the health of
the sinus lining. The author
believes that sinusitis due to
allergies or fungal sensitivity may
be due to a genetic defect. Other
research in appearing in Family
Practice News (April 1, 1992;30)
stated that allergic sinusitis can be
caused by several species of fungus
and recommended culturing the
mucus to identify the exact fungus
involved. Of the 40 subjects in the
study, half had a history of allergies
or asthma.
Saline irrigation is a valuable
treatment for sinusitis. A study
appearing in Family Practice News
(August 1, 2004:49) randomly
assigned 43 sinusitis patients to
receive either nasal irrigation or
amoxicillin. After 11 months, the
group receiving the irrigation had
dramatically better scores on the
Rhinosinusitis Disability Index,
suggesting the superiority of nasal
irrigation to antibiotic therapy.
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While it is common to treat
chronic sinusitis with antibiotics,
many cases are due to allergies or
fungus. According to an article in
Medical Tribune (December 7,
1995;1), between 25% and 70% of
patients with allergies have
sinusitis as a symptom. This is
something to consider when
repeated bouts of antibiotic
therapy do not work.
Special Sinus Issue - Page 1
S PECIAL S INUS I SSUE
Body Pain and Fatigue Linked to Sinusitis
Research published in Archives of
Internal Medicine (2003;163:1832-1836.) and
performed by scientists at Georgetown University
Medical Center, shows a link between fatigue,
unexplained pain and chronic sinusitis. A study
conducted at Harvard had shown that fatigue and
pain scores of sinusitis patients were similar or
worse than a group 20 years older with lung
disease, congestive heart failure, or back pain.
According to the CDC, 32 million Americans
suffer from sinus problems.
On
average, sinus symptoms were nine times more
common in patients with unexplained chronic
fatigue, and six times more common in patients
Cherries for Pain?
with unexplained chronic pain than in the control
group. Sinus symptoms were also more common
in patients with unexplained fatigue than in
patients with fatigue explained by illness.
Unexplained fatigue can therefore be more closely
associated with sinusitis than are other types of
fatigue.
More than 20% of the
subjects in the study met the criteria for a
diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. Most of the
chronic fatigue syndrome patients had sinus
symptoms. Many noted a sudden onset of their
illness, something they have in common with
patients suffering with sinusitis.
According to research submitted to
the 2009 annual meeting of the
American
College
of
Sports
Medicine (abstracts 851 and 852),
consuming tart cherry juice can
reduce pain from exercise. Healthy
runners between the ages of 18 and
50 were randomly selected to
receive either tart cherry juice or a
placebo to drink one week before
the race. The group with the cherry
reported less pain. Another study
had 14 women with fibromyalgia
drinking either tart cherry juice or a
placebo for 10 days to see its effect
on muscle pain and strength after
exercise. Once again, the group
receiving the cherry juice had less
pain and more strength.
Antibiotics May Not be Good for Sinusitis
In a study of children diagnosed with acute
sinusitis of ten or more days duration, some were
given a placebo and others were given antibiotics
(amoxicillin or Augmentin). Those given the placebo
were as likely to get better as the children who were
prescribed antibiotics. Symptoms improved within
seven days in 81% of children in both the placebo
group and the antibiotic group. Within 10 days in 87%
of all children improved.
The study published in the journal Pediatrics
(April 2001;107:619-625) also found that antibiotic
therapy did no better than the placebo in preventing
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the recurrence of symptoms. The drug did not reduce
absences from school or day care when compared to the
placebo. Many cases of sinusitis are caused by viruses,
against which antibiotics have no effect. Some
researchers believe that many cases of sinusitis are fungal
in nature.
This does not mean that antibiotics should never
be used, only that they should be used "judiciously."
Bacterial infections will respond to antibiotics, so a
doctor may prescribe antibiotics for some children with
symptoms that will not go away on their own, researchers
said.
Special Sinus Issue - Page 2
Sinus Problems and Pollution
Sinuses are air pockets within the skull. They are
located around the nose and eyes. Each sinus is
connected to the nasal passage by a small duct
which allows mucus drainage and air exchange.
These ducts are called ostea and each is about the
size of a pencil lead. About 34 million Americans
suffer with sinus problems. Often a cold will plug
up the ostea, preventing the sinuses from
draining properly. The moist, warm, mucuspacked sinus becomes a breeding ground for
bacteria. To the patient, it seems to be a cold that
just doesn’t go away. Chronic sinusitis produces
pressure between the eyes, on the sides of the
nose, or in the front of the forehead. There is a
stuffy feeling, and the victim frequently has
headaches. He or she often has a runny nose,
sore throat, and/or a cough from the constant
draining of mucus.
Frequently the sinus sufferer has repeat bouts of
infection and takes antibiotics on a regular basis.
This can create digestive problems or immune
system problems. Repeated courses of antibiotic
therapy can create dysbiosis (overgrowth of
yeastor other pathologic microorganism in the
intestine) and ultimately lead to other problems
like headaches, fatigue, digestive problems and
allergies.
Smoking, air pollution and environmental
allergies can irritate the ostea and create the
conditions for chronic sinusitis. Indoor air
pollution can be much worse than outdoor air
pollution (especially during the winter).
Chemical toxicity is a huge issue. Chemical
exposure can cause a wide variety of symptoms,
including fatigue, headaches, skin problems,
digestive problems, recurrent Candidiasis,
allergies and even cancer. Some occupations that
involve chemical exposure are farmers,
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hairdressers, photographers, refinery and
factory workers, airline employees, truck
drivers, auto mechanics, painters, doctors and
x-ray technicians.
The "body burden" of chemicals is tested by
the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention every two years. It has found
that the average American now has 116
synthetic compounds in his or her body,
according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in Atlanta. These include
dioxin (from burning plastic), polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (from auto exhaust)
and organochlorine pesticides. Of course
there are about 75,000 different chemicals
produced in the United States each year,
3,000 of which are produced in quantities
greater than 50,000 tons each year.
Chemicals that were banned decades ago
persist in the soil, air and water. DDT, banned
34 years ago, still exists in detectable levels in
many people. It would be interesting to see
the CDC’s result if all of these chemicals were
tested for.
Recent studies have detected these pesticides,
plastics and polymers not only in umbilical
cord blood, but in the placenta, in human
milk and in the bloodstreams and body fat of
infants. These substances may have far
reaching effects on our health. One toxin
threatening mothers and children is mercury.
Mercury has been linked to breast cancer,
autism and attention deficit disorder. In
2002, a study found that nearly 15% of
American women of reproductive age have
enough of this contaminant in her blood to
endanger a developing fetus.
Special Sinus Issue - Page 3
Sinus Health Check List
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Minimize the amount of chemical and dust where
you sleep. The room should have no carpeting;
hardwood flooring is best. Do not store clothing,
books or printed material in this room. Pure
cotton or wool bedding should be used. The
mattress and pillow should contain no foam. The
room should be very sparsely furnished. If you
have gas, forced-air heat in your home, it should
be turned off in that room. Seal the vents and use
electric space heaters in that room.
If you have gas, forced-air heating, get your ducts
cleaned. Many people who catch a cold every
winter are actually victims of their ductwork.
During the summer, moist, air-conditioned air
goes through the ducts. In early fall, dust and
mold collect in the ducts. When it gets cold, the
heat is turned on and the dry, heated air blows
dust and mold throughout the house. Many
people who think they have a cold may actually
be allergic to dust or mold. Some of these people
are sick all winter long. Cleaning the ducts
prevents this problem.
Use a HEPA filter at home to clean up indoor air
pollution. These are free-standing filters that
remove dust, mold, pollen and smoke from the
air. They are available in most appliance stores.
Sinuses are often worse in winter when they are
exposed to hot, dry, indoor heat. A humidifier is
helpful (worth noting, if there is an allergy to dust
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mites, a humidifier may aggravate the
allergy). Make absolutely sure that you
change the water and clean the humidifier
regularly. Saline irrigation can reduce pain
and swelling in the sinuses and nasal
passages.
Blow your nose. Never sniff mucus back into
your nose. It plugs the ostea and increases
sinus pressure.
If you smoke, quit.
Make absolutely sure that you drink an
adequate amount of water.
Steam is very helpful. Long, hot showers,
going into a steam bath or simply boiling
water and inhaling the vapor through your
nose will help your sinuses to drain.
Come in for a consultation and we can help
you with nutritional advice to help you and
will help you with any allergy or Candida
problems that you may have. Spinal
adjustments are useful for improving
function of the nervous system, thus
improving the health of both the sinuses and
the immune system. Products like vitamins A,
or C may be beneficial. Arabinogalactan
powder is a powerful immune booster. Spinal
manipulation to improve function of the
nervous system, cranial work or other handson therapy may be an important part of
restoring your health.
Can Your Pain be Treated Safely and Naturally? Schedule a FREE
Consultation and Find Out
Call us today and schedule your FREE consultation. Face it, pain lowers the quality of your life. Pain medication is not
a good long-term solution. Let us help you to create a plan that is designed for your unique biochemistry.
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Special Sinus Issue - Page 4