The Hidden Perpetrator of Sinus Infections Found in 96% of Mayo Study Participants
03/12/2012
Posted By
Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance
 Recent research indicates some cases of nasal congestion may be alleviated by cooling and decreasing the humidity in
the air you breathe
 The ideal level of relative humidity for sinus health, and to prevent growth of mold and fungi in your home, is between
35-45 percent
 The vast majority of chronic sinusitis cases may be due to exposure to mold or fungi rather than bacteria, which
antibiotics cannot treat. Antibiotics are only recommended for short-term use if your sinusitis is in fact caused by
a bacterial infection. Using antibiotics for sinusitis caused by viral, mold or fungal infection may have serious longterm health ramifications
 According to a Mayo Clinic study, as much as 96 percent of people suffering from chronic sinusitis are "fungal
sensitized," meaning they have immune responses triggered by inhaled fungal organisms
 All-natural treatment options for acute sinusitis includes: drinking hot liquids, applying warm compresses, sinus
irrigation, aromatherapy steam bath, certain foods such as horseradish and wasabi, eliminating dust, and elevating
your head when sleeping
By Dr. Mercola
Nasal congestion is usually caused by infection or allergy, and is one of the most frequent
medical complaints in the United States.
A common belief is that nasal congestion or "stuffy nose" is due to a buildup of mucus.
However, congestion is more often due to swelling of the nasal tissues, caused by inflamed blood
vessels.
All in all, nasal congestion can be related to a number of ailments, including:

Common cold/flu (bacteria or virus)

Sinus infection (bacteria, virus, mold or fungus)

Hay fever or other allergies

Nasal polyps

Vasomotor rhinitis (non-allergic condition)

Overuse of nasal sprays/drops
In the case of cold or flu and sinus infections, the congestion typically goes away in about a
week.
Chronic sinusitis (sinus infection), on the other hand, can last for months or even years if not
addressed properly.
I'll review my treatment recommendations for acute sinusitis below, and special considerations
for chronic sinusitis, which is frequently misdiagnosed.
That said, according to a recent study in the journal PLoS Onei, the sensations of nasal
congestion may in some cases be related to the temperature and humidity of inhaled air -perhaps more than any other variable.
How Temperature and Humidity Can Make You Feel "Stuffed Up"
Rhinitis is the medical term for "stuffy nose." Vasomotor rhinitis is a non-allergic condition,
characterized by chronic runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion. Changes in temperature
and humidity have already been identified as a potential triggers. (Other triggers include strong
odors, perfumes, smoke, fumes, and bright sunlight.)
The results of the featured study indicate that the sensory feedback from nasal airflow can
contribute to the feeling of congestion, and that by altering temperature and humidity levels of
inhaled air, you may experience some relief.
The authors of the study suggest that the interaction between temperature and humidity influence
"nasal cooling" as the air moves through your nasal cavity. This nasal cooling is detected by
"sensors" inside your nose, which stimulate the sensation of air flow being either easy or
obstructed, with cooler air resulting in feelings of less obstruction. Essentially, nasal congestion
can be sensory related.
According to lead author Kai Zhao, Ph.Dd, a bioengineer, an effective treatment for nasal
congestion may need to include restoring optimal humidity and temperature to the patient's nasal
airflow.
What's the Ideal Level of Humidity?
According to Dr. Robert Ivker, D.O., former President of the American Holistic Medical
Association, the ideal level of relative humidity for sinus health is between 35-45 percent. This
level is also generally recommended to avoid mold damage in your home. (To accurately
determine the relative humidity in your home you would use a hygrometer, available in most
home improvement stores.) In the featured study, the two types of air conditions associated with
the most effective decrease in feelings of congestion were:
1. Cold air, and
2. Dry air at room temperature
If your home or office is too humid (above 45 percent), you may want to consider reducing the
amount of moisture in the air, as excessive levels may also cause mold and fungi growth that
could wreak havoc on your health—it may even be the root cause if you're suffering from
chronic sinus infections. To decrease humidity, you can:

Use a dehumidifier

Run the air conditioner

Take colder and shorter showers

Install a fan in your kitchen and bathrooms, and leave them on for awhile after you're done
cooking or showering
You must be VERY careful about making sure your humidity levels are not too high. This does
not need to be due to high outdoor humidity but more commonly is due to some type of water
intrusion in the home from a leaky roof, foundation or plumbing. The high humidity will
cause mold to grow and could devastate your health as I have written about previously. So the
key is to find the cause of the increased humidity and repair it. It would be wise to use a large
commercial dehumidifer in your home to lower the humidity until the problem is fixed.
However, very dry air is also known to increase feelings of congestion because drying out your
sinus membranes can irritate them further. So depending on your individual circumstances, if the
air in your home is excessively dry, then increasing the humidity may help. To increase
humidity, you can:

Use a vaporizer or humidifier

Create a steam bath by taking a hot shower, or filling your sink with hot water, then
placing a towel over your head as you lean over the sink

Breathe in the steam from a hot cup of tea
Do You Have a Sinus Infection?
Sinus infections (sinusitis) affect over 39 million Americans every year.ii It typically occurs when
the mucous membranes in your nose and sinuses become irritated by a cold, allergy, or pollution,
for example, which then cause them to become inflamed. Once inflamed, the motion of your cilia
(the tiny hairs that coat the mucous membranes and are responsible for moving mucus over their
surfaces) slows down. At the same time, the irritation stimulates your mucous glands to secrete
more mucus than usual to dilute the bacteria.
As a result, mucus gets trapped in your sinuses, where it can easily become infected.
It's important to understand that antibiotics can spell disaster for this problem. If used long-term,
they can lead to very serious complications that may be very difficult to remediate against,
including chronic yeast infections and impaired immune function. Furthermore, as I will discuss
below, the vast majority of chronic sinusitis cases may be due to exposure to mold or fungi
rather than bacteria, which antibiotics will have no effect on at all. Symptoms of sinus
infection include:
Congestion and pressure
around your eyes, cheeks
and forehead
Thick, green or yellow
mucus
Toothache
Cold symptoms lasting more
than 10 days
Postnasal drip (excess
mucus dripping down the
back of your throat)
Fatigue
Beware: Sinusitis is Often Misdiagnosed
The problem with sinus issues is that that they're very easily misdiagnosed. Sinus problems and
post-nasal drip can actually be a tip-off that you're being affected by mold or fungi.
In fact, research done by the Mayo Clinic in the 1990s that strongly suggests NEARLY ALL
chronic sinusitis is caused by fungi, but blamed on bacteria—then mistreated using antibiotics.
The findings were published in 1999 in two peer-reviewed journals, Journal of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology and Mayo Clinic Proceedings.iii Yet, most physicians are still unaware of
this study, or at least of its significance. A 1999 Mayo Clinic press releaseiv stated:
"Mayo Clinic researchers say they have found the cause of most chronic sinus infections—an
immune system response to fungus.
The Mayo Clinic study suggests that 96 percent of the people who suffer from chronic sinusitis
are "fungal sensitized," meaning they have immune responses triggered by inhaled fungal
organisms! This explains why antibiotics are so ineffective for chronic sinusitis as they target
bacteria, NOT fungi. Antibiotics and steroids can actually worsen fungal-related infections by
destroying your body's natural biological terrain, creating an internal incubation ground for
further fungal growth.
The bottom line is, if you have chronic sinusitis, you MUST approach it from the perspective of
a fungal infection FIRST, not a bacterial infection, even if it means having to educate your
healthcare provider. A good place to start is by sharing the Mayo Clinic study referenced above.
The book, Mold: The War Withinv is also a useful resource.
How to Treat Sinusitis Without Drugs
For chronic sinusitis, please refer to this previous article about how to address sinusitis caused
by mold and fungi exposure. The following natural treatments can help you get over
an acute sinus infection without the use of antibiotics and unnecessary OTC drugs, by keeping
your cilia healthy and functioning, thereby preventing excess mucus build-up in your sinuses.
1. Drink hot liquids, such as tea or hot chicken soup. It will help moisturize your mucous
membranes, speeding up the movement of your cilia and thus washing mucus out of your
sinuses more quickly.
2. Apply warm compresses to your face, three times a day for five minutes. A small towel
soaked in warm water, placed over your face below and between the eyes, will help
increase the circulation in your sinuses, which will also help speed up the movement of
your cilia.
3. Irrigate your sinuses. In a 2007 study from University of Michigan Health System
researchersvi, saline irrigation was found to decrease nasal congestion more effectively than
saline sprays. It appears to work by thinning mucus, decreasing swelling in your nasal
passages and removing debris, bacteria, allergens and inflammatory substances from your
nose, hence decreasing swelling that makes it hard to breathe. (If you've never done this
before, see these Nasal Irrigation Guidelinesvii by the University of Michigan.)
To make your own preservative-free saline solution, just add one teaspoon of himalayan or
sea salt to one pint of distilled water. Make sure you use a saline solution that does not
contain benzalkonium, a preservative that can impair your nasal function and might sting
and burn.
4. Clear your sinuses with an aromatherapy steam bath. To help open up congested nasal
passages and sinuses, put a couple of drops of eucalyptus or menthol aromatherapy oil into
a bowl of hot water, then breathe the vapors. In lieu of aromatherapy oil, dabbing some
Vick's VapoRub on your skin underneath your nose can also be effective.
5. Unclog your sinuses with the right foods. Horseradish, grated on top of a sandwich, or
some Japanese wasabi mustard can also help open up congested sinuses.
6. Elevate your head when sleeping.
7. Dust your bedroom. Dust and dust mites can wreak havoc on your mucous membranes,
especially when you're asleep and your cilia are at rest. Using a HEPA filter air purifier is
also beneficial in keeping your air as free from allergens as possible.
How to Prevent Sinus Infections Before They Start
Poor food quality, excessive exposure to toxic chemicals and a high-stress lifestyle puts you at
greater risk for not only sinus infection but all disease. Therefore, maintaining a robust immune
system and creating an environment inhospitable to bacterial and fungal proliferation can help
prevent sinus problems and infections from occurring in the first place. Here are some of the
basic strategies to keep your immune system in top form:
1. Avoid eating sugar or grains, as detailed in my nutrition plan
2. Take a high-quality animal-based omega-3 supplement such as krill oil, which acts as a
potent anti-inflammatory
3. Optimize your vitamin D levels by getting appropriate amounts of sun exposure yearround. Alternatively, use a safe tanning bed (one with electronic ballasts rather than
magnetic ballasts, to avoid unnecessary exposure to EMF fields. Safe tanning beds also
have less of the dangerous UVA than sunlight.) If neither of these are feasible options, then
you should take an oral vitamin D3 supplement.
4. Consume organic coconut oil. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being
antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal
5. Avoid eating these top 10 mycotoxic foods
6. Get proper sleep
7. Get regular exercise especially Peak Fitness type exercises
References:

i

ii
Perceiving Nasal Patency through Mucosal Cooling Rather than Air Temperature or Nasal Resistance, PLoS ONE, October 13,
2011: 6(10); e24618, K. Zhao, et al.
Sinus Conditions, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 12, 2011.

iii

iv
Mayo Clinic Study Implicates Fungus As Cause Of Chronic Sinusitis, Science Daily, September 10, 1999.

v
Mold: The War Within, Amazon.com, August 31, 2010: Kurt and Lee Ann Billings.

vi

vii
The Diagnosis and Incidence of Allergic Fungal Sinusitis, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, September 1999: 74(9); 877-84, J.U.
Ponikau, et al.
Sinus Problems are Treated Well with Safe, Inexpensive Treatment, UMHS Study Find, University of Michigan Health
System, November 19, 2007.
Saline Nasal Irrigations Instruction Sheet, University of Michigan.