Are you among the 1 in 5 Americans who suffer from sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, acid reflux or asthma? Did you know that by effectively treating the nose, you might be able to treat or prevent other problems as well? Did you know that many of the strategies for treating the nose and sinuses also apply to other conditions, such as even acid reflux and asthma? Yes, they do! And it is so important to treat the nose effectively because these are all interconnected.

Before reading further, please note I am a school psychologist and nasal sufferer with the above conditions as well as empty nose syndrome, but not a healthcare professional. While these treatments have generally been effective for me, everyone responds differently to them so what helped me might not benefit someone else. I strongly recommend you discuss treatment ideas in this article with your doctor before attempting them. The best course of action with any health-related problem is consultation with a medical professional, and I take no responsibility for decisions made by people who read this article.

Now, one recommendation that all sinus sufferers would do well to heed: a key concept to remember in treating your nose is that you are in charge of taking control of your health. No one else will do that for you. In fact, I learned that even though my nasal problems seem rather severe, as I suffer from empty nose syndrome, I actually came down with fewer sinus infections than others around me because I learned more about my nose and followed treatment strategies that worked well for me. Many of the treatment principles are universal.

Three guiding principles that can bolster your nasal health are:

Principle 1: Keep the nose moist while keeping mucus moving.


Principle 2: Maintain good blood supply to the nose.


Principle 3: Relax.

A key strategy for Principle 1, keep the nose moist while keeping mucus moving, is nasal irrigation. This is a natural remedy I believe every sinus sufferer must understand and should do. In brief, it consists of rinsing out your nose and sinuses with salt and water. I feel so strongly about nasal irrigation that I believe it must be tried first before considering nose or sinus surgery (unless your situation demands it).

Nasal irrigation has become popularized in 2007 by Oprah Winfrey, as she had Dr. Mehmet Oz introduce the neti pot to viewers. Dr. Oz suggests water used for irrigation should be warm and it must include salt; without salt in the mixture that mimics the natural concentration of salt in the body, the water would irritate delicate nasal membranes. He also points out how many ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists recognize the value in doing irrigation, which can be more effective than drugs for treating nasal congestion, stuffiness, or allergies, for example, as it involves directly cleaning out the nose and sinuses. Have you noticed the proliferation of irrigation products in your local drugstore compared to even just 10 years ago? The number of products has increased significantly, because there is much value in cleaning out your nose with salt water. I wish nasal irrigation would be tantamount to and as well understood as washing dirty hands!

The doctor who pioneered the concept of nasal irrigation in the United States is Dr. Murray Grossan, of Los Angeles, an innovative ENT specialist who created the Grossan Hydro Pulse Nasal-Sinus Irrigation System, which has reportedly sold 400,000 to date. Interestingly, based on feedback, Dr. Grossan estimates 10%, or 40,000, of these purchasers are from empty nose sufferers. You can visit his website at http://www.hydromedonline.com to learn more about the Hydro Pulse. Dr. Grossan needed to find an effective remedy for treating his patients, many of whom did not have much money, without using drugs. I use the Hydro Pulse twice a day, in the morning and evening. It is important to point out the Hydro Pulse has distinct advantages over other irrigation products, such as a neti pot or a bulb syringe (the latter of which can house bacteria):

1) The Hydro Pulse pulsates at a rate to stimulate your nasal cilia to their best rhythm, restoring the functioning of the cilia.

2) The Hydro Pulse allows you to irrigate both your nose and throat. It is important to irrigate both, particularly since what is in the nose travels down to the throat. Irrigating the throat can bring circulation to the throat, thereby thinning mucus and reducing postnasal drip.

Another key strategy as part of Principle 1 and that I believe everyone should keep in mind before considering nasal or sinus surgery, except in emergency situations, is to get proper treatment for your allergies. Allergies can lead to enlarged turbinate tissue that can block nasal breathing, so effective treatment for allergies can actually reduce the size of the turbinates, an effect that can be very beneficial. (Please note: the turbinates are very complex structures in the nose with the primary turbinates the size of a finger and they play key roles in heating, humidifying, and filtering air, directing and detecting airflow, and providing 50% of resistance in overall airflow to the lungs.) This treatment might consist of allergy medicine and injections. Allergy injections, for example, have been demonstrated in medical literature to improve the immune system and mucociliary clearance functioning. These are generally administered for 3-5 years for optimal benefit.

A third key strategy of Principle 1 is proper diet. This strategy might seem self-explanatory, but it cannot be emphasized enough. A number of tips to consider in terms of diet including drinking 8, 8-ounce glasses of water per day; drinking hot tea with lemon and honey, particularly during a time of a cold or sinus infection; eating chicken soup; and eating foods that might be beneficial for sinus health such as vegetables, fresh fruits, spicy foods, wheat products, and foods high in protein. Conversely, foods to avoid include caffeinated products and alcohol, which increase nasal dryness, and tobacco smoke, which worsens the lungs and consequently leads to more breathing difficulties.

Principle 2 is maintain good blood supply to the nose. Exercise is a strategy that most people are familiar with and can help improve nasal functioning. Exercise increases blood flow throughout the body, while increasing serotonin reuptake inhibitors that will physically decrease the likelihood someone will develop depression. When I run outside (or walk or do any physical activity), I notice that I can breathe better through my nose. Empty nose sufferers tend to particularly benefit from good blood supply to their nose, sometimes finding inversion techniques to be helpful. An inversion technique consists of having the head lower than the rest of the body to increase blood supply to the head and remaining nose tissue (the turbinates). You can purchase an inversion table to do this technique.

Principle 3 is relax, be it a good night of sleep or reducing stress in everyday life. It is important to get adequate sleep per night, which is the body’s natural way of healing. People who are not getting enough sleep are more apt to come down with sinus infections. I recall reading Walt Ballenberger, founder of http://www.postnasaldrip.net informing his readers that after 2.5 years, he came down with a sinus infection. The reason? He had 3 hours of sleep in a 48 hour period. However, sufferers of empty nose syndrome might need to undergo a sleep study and might even need a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine because their breathing difficulties make breathing (and consequently sleeping) that much more difficult. Some of the more severely affected empty nose patients report only being able to breathe for a few hours at a time each night. Finally, reducing stress is also important for sinus sufferers as that alone can reduce the risk of sinus infections.

If you are among the 1 in 5 Americans who suffer from sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, acid reflux, asthma, and/or if you have empty nose syndrome, then I encourage you to consider using the treatment strategies discussed in this article, which might just be a starting point for you to take control of your nasal health. Remember, it is you, no one else, who will take control of your health.

Christopher Martin is a nationally certified school psychologist in Upstate New York and author of Having Nasal Surgery? Don’t You Become An Empty Nose Victim!, a part testimonial, part informational self-help book for sinus and empty nose sufferers, for those considering nose and sinus surgery, and for ENT specialists and plastic surgeons. You can learn more about his book at Chris’ blog at http://emptynosesyndrome.blogspot.com or the Empty Nose Syndrome Association website at http://www.emptynosesyndrome.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Martin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Effective-Treatment-Principles-For-Sinus-Sufferers&id=693808

A sinusitis infection may start off simple: runny nose, cough, and congestion. But when it is not taken care of in time, it can lead to much more severe symptoms.

Sinusitis infections are generally caused by a cold or an allergy. When a cold or allergy occurs, swelling of the sinus cavity lining takes place. When bacteria enter the sinus cavities, they attack the swollen lining which then causes greater inflammation. The cilia is a part of the sinuses which usually flushes out the bacteria and mucus. When a great amount of inflammation occurs, the cilia can no longer function as it should and so the bacteria and mucus end up becoming trapped in the cavities and as a result the sinusitis infection transpires.

In general, the symptoms of an acute sinusitis infection may include cough, congestion, facial pain and pressure, headache, green nasal discharge, and postnasal drip. When the sinusitis infection lasts for twelve or more weeks it is known as chronic sinusitis and can have added symptoms such as loss of sense of taste and smell and fatigue may also be experienced. Other symptoms may also occur depending on which sinus cavity that the infection lies in.

There are numerous medications and treatments meant to offer relief to the sinusitis infection sufferer. One of the most common treatments is oral medications such as antibiotics, decongestants, and anti-fungals. Oral medications work on infections and other problems by traveling through the blood stream to the infected area. In the sinus cavities there are very few blood vessels. Since the oral medications use the blood stream to flow to the area where they are needed, only a small amount of the medication can be delivered to the sinusitis infection which may lead to little or no relief from the treatment. Also since these medications use the blood stream, it then is distributed through out the rest of the body also which can lead to many side effects such as stomach pain, drowsiness, amongst many others depending on which type of medication is being used.

There are also many treatments which are directly distributed into the sinus cavities. These treatments are generally meant to help moisten the cilia so that it can flush out the trapped mucus and bacteria. Nasal sprays are commonly used and can be prescribed or purchased over the counter. The nasal sprays may offer some relief to the lower part of the sinuses but often times may not help the infection since their particle sizes are too large to make it past the inflammation at the opening of the sinus cavities and up to the sinusitis infection. The same holds true for a treatment called irrigation which distributes saline up to the sinus cavities. Irrigation is also very messy and generally unsuccessful in offering relief.

A newer treatment that is used nasally is aerosolized medications. Aerosolized medications are used very much like nebulized asthma medications. These antibiotics, anti-fungals, and anti-inflammatories are broken down into a small particle size so that it can pass the inflammation and make its way up to the sinusitis infection. Generally a small amount of these medications are used which results in little to no side effects in the rest of the body.

There are many options on the market which are meant to offer relief for sinusitis infections. It is important to find the treatment that works best for you and to treat the infection before it worsens and surgery is then left as the only option.

More sinusitis infection treatment information like Aerosolized Sinusitis Therapy can be found at Sinus Infection Problem – Sinus Dynamic

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amyjo_Abbey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Relief-from-Sinus-Infection-Problems&id=720553

A large amount of the population suffer from sinusitis every year. A sinus is a cavity in the skull which is used to make the skull lighter, give room for the skull to grow, and to cool down the inhaled air. There are four types of sinuses in humans which include the maxillary, ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses. The maxillary sinus cavity is located below the eye and to the side of the nose below the cheeks. The ethmoid sinus and the sphenoid sinus are some of the most functional sinuses and are located between the eyes and under the nose. The frontal sinus cavity is located in the middle of the forehead.

The sinuses can cause many problems. The most common problem is a sinusitis infection. A sinusitis infection is caused by a blockage of bacteria and mucus in the sinus cavities. The blockage begins usually with a cold or allergy. The sinus cavity lining becomes swollen when a cold or allergy exists. When bacteria get into the sinus cavities, they attack the swollen lining which then causes greater inflammation. The cilia are tiny hairs in the sinuses which are used to flush out bacteria and mucus. When the inflammation from the bacteria occurs, the cilia can no longer flush it out therefore the bacteria and mucus become trapped and the sinusitis infection begins.

There are many symptoms which can occur with sinusitis. Frequently, a person may experience cough, congestion, facial pain and pressure, green nasal discharge, and postnasal drip. When the sinusitis infection lasts for twelve or more weeks it is considered chronic and can have additional symptoms such as loss of sense of taste and smell and the person may also become fatigued.

There are many forms of treatment for a sinusitis infection. Nasal sprays are one common treatment. Nasal sprays work by distributing saline solution up into the sinus cavities. Nasal sprays are meant to moisten the cilia so that the trapped bacteria and mucus can be washed out. The problem with nasal sprays however is that they have large particle sizes that cannot make it past the inflammation at the opening of the sinus cavities and up to the sinusitis infection. Oral antibiotics and other oral medications are also frequently used treatments. Oral antibiotics work on infections by flowing through the blood stream to the infected area. Oral antibiotics are usually ineffective when it comes to sinusitis infections due to the fact that there are only a small amount of blood vessels in the sinus cavities which makes it difficult for an efficient amount of antibiotic, along with anti-fungals and anti-inflammatories, to make it to the sinus infection. Another treatment that may be used is irrigation. Irrigation, like nasal sprays, is meant to moisten the cilia so that it can function properly. Also like nasal sprays, it is difficult for it to make it through the inflammation and to the sinuses. Irrigation is also usually a very messy treatment.

Our sinuses have important functions and it is important to keep them clear from infection. A sinusitis infection can become an inconvenience in many ways and also may cause future problems for the sinus cavities. It is best to take care of a sinusitis infection at the beginning and to prevent it from becoming chronic and from leading to surgery.

More sinusitis infection treatment information like Aerosolized Sinusitis Therapy can be found at Sinus Infection Problem – Sinus Dynamic.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Jo_Abbey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Treatment-of-Your-Sinusitis&id=731494