Allergy Relief Expert

Millions of people are familiar with the stuffiness and painful pressure of sinusitis, one of the most common chronic ailments.

Your sinuses are air-filled pockets located above your eyebrows, under your eyes, between your eyes, and behind your nose. Normally, mucus from your sinuses drains into your nose and down your throat, where stomach acids destroy it. When your sinuses clog up, the tissues swell, and mucus does not drain prop­erly. This results in a buildup of mucus, which can quickly become infected.

The symptoms of sinusitis include a stuffy or runny nose, painful pressure around your eyes, earaches, and coughing which becomes worse when lying down. It is usually caused by bacterial infection. People with asthma or allergies are more likely to have sinusitis. It may also be brought on by environmental factors such as pollution, cigarette smoke, and weather conditions. Many people find that their sinusitis is worse right before a storm. Some people may have a deviated septum, which means the wall of bone and cartilage between the right and left nostrils is crooked. This can interfere with mucus drainage.

Steps to Stop Sinusitis

• Wash your sinuses out with a neti-pot or sinus rinse product using a balanced saline solution.
• Get the right amount of sleep. Too much or too little sleep may make you more likely to suffer from sinusitis. Sleeping with your head elevated may also help. If you only have sinusitis on one side, try sleeping on the other side. This may help open your nasal passageway.
• Change your diet. You may have food allergies which could trigger your sinusitis. Try eliminating foods like wheat, milk, or red wine. Spicy foods like garlic, horseradish, and cayenne pepper may help clear sinuses.
• Use a nasal spray. Saline nasal sprays help moisten and soothe nasal pas­sages. Over-the-counter nasal decongestant sprays should not be used for more than three days in a row. A rebound effect may occur if you use them too much, which means your symptoms will get much worse when you stop using them.
• Exercise. Most people with sinusitis find that exercise opens nasal passages by increasing the flow of mucus. However, some people may find that exercise makes their symptoms worse.
• Make sure your glasses fit. Improperly fitting glasses can pinch the bridge of your nose and cause congestion.
• Inhale steam. Breathing in steam may help. You can add pine oil, eucalyptus, or menthol for a little extra nasal-opening power. A warm facial pack (hot tow­els) can have the same effect.
• Use a humidifier. A humidifier may prevent your sinuses from becoming dry and irritated, which could lead to swelling and infection. A humidifier is partic­ularly helpful during the colder months.

Medical Sources:American Family Physician (53,3:877)
The Asthma and Allergy Advance (January/February 1994)

My Neti Pot Experience

A winter allergy is rarely seen as most allergies are seen during the spring and fall months as the seasons change and mold counts are at their highest. However, a winter can be common in the indoor environment according to certain factors which may be occurring in the home.

Indoor Air Pollutants!

Indoor air pollution which can actually become worse during the summer months can be tied to the occurrence of winter allergies. It is more prevalent in parts of the US and other parts of the world which get the full range of hot summer weather and moderate winter weather.

Air Conditioning Mold

The reason for this is that during the summer months as households use air conditioning (AC), mold can grow and colonize in the AC coil box. If the mold remains wet and doesn’t grow too large, it normally will not cause allergic reaction to household members during the summer. However, as the heat is used as the weather turns cold, this mold will tend to dry over weeks and the dead spores can actually break loose and circulate throughout the home. The human body does not know the difference between a dead or live mold spore and can have an allergic reaction to either.

Winter Allergy Strategies

Here are a few tips you can use to minimize allergy reactions during the winter months:

• Have your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) unit properly cleaned at the end of the cooling season to remove organic matter and mold spores from the surfaces.
• Use a HEPA (High Efficient Particle Air) vacuum cleaner and air purifier units which are 99.99% effective at removing mold spores and other dust particles from the indoor environment.
• Keep your sinuses rinsed with a sinus rinse product which will minimize sinus allergies, especially during the winter months.

About the author:
Stan K. Hall (Sick House Doctor) is a recognized specialist in Indoor Air Pollution as well as Health & Safety in the home. He has performed over 400 indoor environmental evaluations over the past 26 years and has helped hundreds of homeowners make their homes a haven. He is widely known as the originator of T.E.A.M., the scientifically proven approach to controlling and resolving indoor air pollution.

Saline Sinus Rinse/Flush