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Sinus
Relief ... Breathe Easier!
Selfcare Tips
to Use with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine for
Sinus Symptoms ... A Win-Win Combination!
Sinus-related problems
are one of the top reasons that people in the U.S.
see a doctor. For some people sinus pressure,
congestion, and post nasal drip are a year round
problem, for others it is an occasional nuisance.
For anyone suffering from acute or chronic sinus
symptoms we have some selfcare tips that can be
used alone or in conjunction with acupuncture or
herbal medicine to ease the misery and make
breathing through your nose again a real
possibility.
First a
little bit about structure and function of the
sinuses. The sinuses have three main functions: to
control temperature and humidity of the air we
breathe in, to lubricate the upper respiratory
system by production of mucus, and to provide 1st
line defense against infection by external factors.
The vestibules of the nose leads back into a series
of parallel chambers that are lined with highly
vascular mucus membrane which support a forest of
tiny mucus coated hairs that help to trap foreign
particles and move them back out. There are two
common types of sinus problems: Acute Sinusitis
which often follows a viral infection or allergy
attack, causes tenderness and pain in the face
(cheek bones, above the eyes, bridge of the nose)
and is usually characterized by dark or green
discharge and possibly a fever, and Allergic
Rhinitis which is characterized by clear watery
discharge and itchiness of the eyes, ears, nose, or
throat. Most of the discomfort associated with sinus
conditions is caused by over production of mucus and
loss of effective drainage.
Sinus
lavage is a very old, very safe technique to help
open up the sinuses, clear out accumulated mucus and
reduce swelling of the sinus passages. There are a
number of different lavage techniques that can be
effective so you many need to experiment a bit to
find what works best for you. My personal favorite
lavage tool is the neti pot. The neti pot, comes to
us from Ayurvedic medicine (the native medicine of
India). It looks like a little Aladdin’s lamp, you
fill it with warm water add a pinch of sea salt and
a pinch of baking soda (or use a convenient prepared
packet), the spout fits in one nostril and you tip
your head forward and away from the pot and voila,
the water runs through your sinuses and exits the
other nostril. Of course the first couple of times
you try this there may be a certain amount of
swearing, snorting, and water up the nose sensation
but eventually you’ll get the hang of it! I like
this technique for several reasons, 1) the volume of
water flowing through the sinuses, my neti pot holds
about 1 cup so if you do both sides as recommended
on the box you’ve really given your sinuses a good
rinse, and 2) gravity feed, since the water is not
introduced to the sinuses with any force other than
gravity it is very gentle and safe. You will notice
as you experiment with this that if you are very
blocked the water will drip through very slowly but
if everything is unblocked and draining well it runs
right through. If you use the neti pot as part of
your daily personal hygiene routine this will help
you gauge how often you need to do it. You can use
the neti pot daily or as needed for acute
situations. As always common sense is your best
guide so if you are using your neti pot somewhere
where you can’t drink the water please use bottled
water in your pot! For your convenience we have neti
pots available in the clinic. Please inquire at the
front desk or ask your practitioner about this easy
and effective technique
Diet can
have a big impact on the production of mucus, so as
much as you may prefer not to hear this, for some
people giving up ice cream is indeed the secret to
better sinus health. You may remember your
pediatrician telling you to go light on the milk
products when your child was sick with a phlegmy
head cold. Sadly this is not something that we grow
out of. For many people dairy products (milk,
cheese, yogurt and products made from the same)
increase the secretion of mucus and can add to the
misery of chronic sinus conditions. Some people may
find that eliminating dairy from their diet can
greatly reduce chronic sinus symptoms. This is a
fairly easy thing to test out by yourself, if you
are having chronic sinus problems just
conscientiously eliminate dairy from your diet for
two weeks and see what happens. If you feel like it
makes a substantial difference in your comfort level
then it is a good idea to follow-up with a
specialist like our Kate Alsup, RD, LND to make sure
that you are substituting and supplementing
appropriately so that your nutrition doesn’t suffer.
The second big food irritant for the sinuses seems
to be wheat but if you think this might be your
issue I’d go to Kate for help with an elimination
diet since this one is much harder to track. Once
again let common sense be your guide, trying an
elimination diet around the holidays is extra hard
and if you have other conditions please do this
under professional supervision.
Chinese
herbal medicine offers many effective remedies for
acute and chronic sinus conditions from a variety of
causes. Patent medicines, prepared pills, tablets,
or liquids can be useful items to have on hand just
in case. Some of them work directly on the symptoms
at the time and others are used before the symptoms
occur to support and re-balance the immune system so
that symptoms will not occur or will be reduced in
intensity and frequency. Custom herbal formulas may
focus directly on the symptoms, work on an
underlying situation that contributes to sinus
problems, or do both simultaneously. One interesting
correlation that my teacher has noted is the
connection between depression/anxiety and sinus
symptoms. He has found that 60%-70% of the patients
that he treats for a main complaint of depression or
anxiety also suffer from chronic sinus problems,
sometimes in treating the underlying blockages
inherent to those conditions the sinus symptoms are
alleviated without direct treatment! Just goes to
show how profound an impact depression/anxiety can
have on the immune system. Speak with your
practitioner or contact the front desk if you are
interested in meeting with one of our herbalists to
customize an herbal prescription for your sinus
condition.
Acupuncture offers a great 1st line response to
sinus symptoms both on the level of blockage and
pain and on the level of immune system support.
Since much of the discomfort associated with sinus
problems is because of inefficient drainage,
acupuncture may be just the right technique to get
you flowing again. Acupuncture stimulates an
effective anti-inflammatory response in your body.
Acupuncture therapy can create the much needed
circulation for relief of tight and painful sinus
cavities. Very often we find that people experience
relief and improved drainage even while they are
lying on the table with the needles. With just a
couple of treatments some people are able to get
enough ahead of the problem to be able to control it
with self care techniques like lavage or diet
changes. There are no magic bullets, but with a
little effort and a combination of treatment and
self care most people are able to get substantial
relief from sinus symptoms and breathe easy again.
- Rebekah Michaels,LIC.AC., MAOM, Diplomate
OM
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