Sinus Health
Symptoms of sinus problems
- Headaches and a full feeling in the head, especially around the eyes
- Pain and fullness under the eyes and in cheekbones
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Tenderness in and under the forehead and under the eyebrows
- Stuffy and congested nose
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Thick mucus running down the back of the throat (postnasal drip)
- Fatigue
- Stiff sore neck
Risk factors
- Allergies to pollens, dusts and animal hair
- Air pollution
- Intolerance to dairy products made from cow’s milk
- Low immune function
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Previous use of steroid drugs, antibiotics and some antacid drugs
- Mouldy home
- Deficiencies of vitamins C and D
- Deficiency of the mineral selenium
- Deviated nasal septum
- Malformation of the sinuses
Prevention tips
- Avoid mould contamination of home (consider cleaning rooms with ozone generator)
- Live in a well-ventilated home. Living by the ocean may help.
- Avoid overuse of steroid tablets or steroid nasal sprays as they may increase infections with bacteria and fungus in the sinuses
- Try a diet free of dairy products; this can greatly reduce mucus production
- Regular nasal irrigation with saline – try NeilMed Sinus Rinse which is an easy squeeze bottle system that allows you to deliver the saline solution with positive pressure to clean the nasal passages thoroughly.
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- Steam inhalation through the nose with steaming water containing several drops of tea tree oil and colloidal silver
- Wear a N95 mask to remove particulate matter from air on days where air pollution is very high (from bushfire smoke, car fumes etc)
- Do not smoke cigarettes
- Drink more water to avoid dehydration of the sinuses; this will often relieve a sinus headache
- Drink raw juices containing citrus fruits, carrot, ginger, parsley, apple and radish
- Eat more garlic
Management tips
- Vitamin C helps to reduce the risk of infections by strengthening the immune system. It also helps reduce inflammation. Vitamin C is found in most fruit and vegetables, such as citrus fruits, kiwifruit, broccoli and capsicum.
- MSM is a natural form of sulphur, which makes the liver more effective at detoxification. Sulphur is found in onion, garlic, cruciferous vegetables and eggs.
- Try BactoClear capsules. The ingredients have traditionally been used in European herbal medicine to relieve symptoms of sinusitis.
- Take a selenium supplement to strengthen the immune system.
- Drink ozone water.
- Practice good dental hygiene and eradicate gum disease.
- If infection becomes chronic, try N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) to eradicate the biofilm – for more information contact 02 4655 4666 to speak to a naturopath.
- If symptoms persist see a specialist ear, nose and throat surgeon (ENT doctor), as sinus infections can be dangerous as the sinuses are close to the brain.
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