Sinus problems are the
number one reason cited by patients for visiting their physician. No
wonder with environmental pollutants and allergy sensitivity
increasing everyday. Today we know that most sinus disease is
caused when the cilia - the very tiny "hairs" in the nose
and chest stop beating. These wonderful machines act like oars, moving
16 strokes each second to propel bacteria, dirt, and cancer causing
poisons out of the nose and chest, before they have a chance to enter
the body. Many cancers form where there are few cilia, emphasizing
their importance. The treatment of choice for sinus disease is to have
the body return the cilia to their normal function, beating 16 times
per second. .
Know what the BEST
treatment is for early morning sneezing? If you start sneezing on
awakening, it is because the nose is trying to get rid of the
particles that accumulated there at night. If the nasal cilia are
working properly, they beat at 16 beats a second and get rid of these
particles and then you don't need the sneezing. The best treatment in
breakfast in bed! You see, by drinking hot tea before you get out of
bed, the body gets warmed up, the cilia speed up and the sneezing,
hacking is avoided.
In the nose and chest
are millions of tiny "oars" or cilia. They act in
coordination to move out the dust and bacteria from the nose to the
back of the throat where it can be swallowed and disposed of in the
stomach. In the chest, the cilia beat to move the germs and dust out
of the chest, up the windpipe to the throat where it is swallowed.
When this system works you don't get sinus disease. When the system
fails in the chest you get a cough, the cough takes over to get rid of
the dirt and germs in the bronchial passages.
Protection from
infection is achieved by the presence of lysozymes, immunoglobulins
and phagocytes in the mucus solution. Movement of the bacteria by
mucus flow reduces opportunity for penetration of the cell. Dilution
of bacterial products makes them less toxic. Mast cells and globulins
are carried in the mucous layer. If the cilia don't move the blanket,
then the cells and defense can't be delivered where they are needed.
Thus, the mucociliary defense system consists of cells that transport
mucous and cells that secrete mucous. Both are essential to health.
Remarkably, the ciliary movement is coordinated so that an effective
wave propels the mucus in a specific direction.
Sinus cilia beat toward
the natural sinus opening. Nasal cilia beat backward . Nasal mucus
propels into the nasopharynx and is swallowed for disposal into the
stomach. In the child this course directs the mucus with its bacteria,
debris and foreign matter over the adenoids where lymphocytic defenses
can act. The deep crypts and rugae of the adenoids create a larger
surface area for greater effect in order to defend the body
With a virus infection,
the cilia are slowed down by the virus chemicals. This allows bacteria
that normally would be swept away by the cilia to enter the body.
Therefore, anything you can do to encourage good cilia movement is
helpful. Hot chicken soup works! Hot tea is good.
Compresses to the sinus/nasal area helps. Breathe·Ease®
XL is a formulation that has been shown to aid cilia better than
regular saline. It has an advantage over saline in that there are no
preservatives such as benzalkonium and the mixture is buffered to
avoid any burning sensation. The refillable spray bottle it comes with
can be used for spray, drops or to irrigate or wash. Without the
burning, this solution can be used regularly by kids.
When you feel a sinus
infection coming on, rest, hot soup and tea, hot compresses applied to
the sinus area: above the eyes for the frontal sinuses, between the
eyes for the ethmoid sinuses, and below the eyes for the maxillary
sinuses.
If this is not
effective, pulsatile irrigation with the Original
Sinus Irrigator Tip (an attachment to most standard Water Pik type
devices) or best the Hydro
Pulse® Nasal / Sinus Irrigation System can be used to restore
nasal cilia, remove nasal pus, and thin the secretions. The attachment
reduces the pressure to just the right pressure of 5 PSI - the water
stream is about an inch high. The saline goes in one side of the nose
and out the other. This is a natural way of healing the sinus
condition. Even children as young as 5 years find this a pleasant
treatment.
Some people get
symptoms after exposure to downtown smog or dust at work. The use of
the irrigator is advised much like washing the hands to remove dirt.
By irrigating in this manner, the nose doesn't have to do the work. It
is especially useful for Firefighters to use after the smoke of a
fire.
Cilia are generally
activated by increasing temperature up to 40 C, so hot compresses over
the sinus area are beneficial. However above 40 C cilia are
inactivated and hence the deleterious effects of hot steam nasal
inhalation. Long term dry steam inhalation, (sauna), is suspected of
being harmful.
For people with serious
sinus disease, this pulsating device has proven extremely useful . For
example, patients with Cystic Fibrosis have very poor ciliary action
and so develop serious sinus disease. The pulsating saline irrigator
can remove the pus and act like a normal cilia.
A good medication for
nasal congestion is Sudafed Long Acting, 120 milligrams every 12
hours.
The term mucocliliary
clearance refers to the system of the cilia and the blanket of mucus.
This is a table of medicines and factors that increase clearance which
is good, and medicines that slow mucociliary clearance, which is bad.
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Frequently Asked Questions
