Eat well. Be well.

Health News

Why Doctors are Not Treating Chronic Sinus Infections Correctly

Do you suffer from chronic sinus infections that last for months?

You are not alone. It is estimated that 37 million people in the United States suffer from chronic sinusitis. This means that the membranes of the nose and sinus cavity become inflamed.

2362132723_4dcc1266fe_oA visit to the typical physician will result in a prescription for an antibiotic.

Unfortunately this is not the right treatment and the inflammation continues and often more antibiotics are given. As the inflammation continues year after year, polyps may develop, making breathing difficult and sometimes polyps lead to surgery.

This is usually the wrong treatment because as many as 96% of people with sinus infections have a fungal infection and not a bacterial infection. Prescribing antibiotics will typically make a sinus infection worse in the long run.

3060243118_cd0a6ec6eb_oWhy antibiotics are the wrong treatment for sinus infections.

Antibiotics target bacteria, not fungi.

The antibiotics kill all the bacteria, including the friendly bacteria that is present in the body to keep the bad microbes in check. When a person dutifully takes the antibiotic, their probiotics are wiped out and the door is open wide for the fungal infection to get much worse.

 

Mayo Clinic Study

logo

screenshot-2016-12-30-13-20-19In 1999 Mayo Clinic researchers published a study in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

This study showed the cause of most chronic sinus infections is an immune system response to fungus (like candida).

Drs. David Sherris, Eugene Kern and Jens Ponikau, Mayo Clinic ear, nose and throat specialists conducted the study.

Dr. Sherris said, “Our studies indicate that, in fact, fungus is likely the cause of nearly all of these problems. And it is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.”

“Medications haven’t worked for chronic sinusitis because we didn’t know what the cause of the problem was,” says Dr. Ponikau. “Finally we are on the trail of a treatment that may actually work.”

 

 

 

How to Support the Respiratory System and Sinus Cavity

Support the whole body.

  • A detailed nutrition plan which eliminates sugar, grains, processed food, dried fruit, and dairy is foundational. Everyone is different, and I recommend working with me or a functional medicine health care practitioner. My book, The Reclaim Diet, will be a good place to start.
  • Take D3 and K2 to raise your level of Vitamin D to 50-80 ng/dl.
  • Take Cod Liver Oil (about 2-3 tsp per day) to boost Omega 3 levels.
  • Increase intake of unrefined coconut oil to several Tbs per day.
  • Heal and seal your leaky gut (Bone Broth, Aloe Vera Juice, L-Glutamine).
  • Take supplements that break down the cell wall of the fungus and Caprylic Acid Capsules.
  • 13-101916-thieves

    Supporting essential oils can help.

  • Try 6-8 drops of Thieves Vitality Essential Oil in veggie capsules.

Mayo Clinic. “Mayo Clinic Study Implicates Fungus As Cause Of Chronic Sinusitis.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 10 September 1999.

Recommended