Unfortunately, I’ve been one of those 30+ million Americans who periodically suffers from sinusitis. By arming myself with knowledge, I’ve been able to cut these infections down to only once or twice per year. Early last month; however, I suffered with one of the worst infections I’d ever had. It began while on vacation in Boyne Mountain, up in Northern Michigan. It started just a few hours after a fun time in the “hot springs” pool. It was about 40 degrees outside when we all decided to take a swim. Boy was it cold! The pool was nice and warm though. After a swim, we bolted to the hot tub and then ran out of it screaming and charging back into the building. That night I woke up with a headache, earache, congestion, nausea and that “heavy head” feeling. It was good that we were going home the next morning; however, the 3 1/2 hour ride home was absolutely horrible. I was so congested, feverish and later became nauseous. In short I felt absolutely miserable! I do my best to stay away from antibiotics, and this time it took quite a while for my body to rid itself of this infection. I felt yucky for about 10 days and it took me another 5 days to regain my energy and get back to my normal routine.
Since then I’m determined more than ever to arm myself with knowledge and learn to avoid foods and/or activities that may trigger or bring on sinus problems. Through my research and experience here are some things I’ve found that trigger sinus problems for me and for others.
1. Sugar – As much as I enjoy eating chocolate, I will not over indulge. Unlike other people who may get a tummy ache, I seem to have problems with my sinuses when I over indulge in sweets. This was the first “trigger food” that I discovered was causing sinus problems for me. I pretty much eliminated sodas, Kool-Aid’s and juices out of my diet. I now drink mostly green tea and water. This has surprisingly been a great help to me. I believe that drinking more water also helps to flush out the excess mucus and get rid of any bacteria in my system.
2. Milk/Dairy Products – Although I don’t drink cows milk due to lactose intolerance (I use soy milk instead), I know that there are many “prepared foods” that I have eaten that may be made with cows milk. Cows milk is said to be a big culprit for those who deal with asthma, sinus infections or other respiratory disorders. So one thing I must do is to read the labels to see if cows milks is one of the ingredients in a product before I buy it.
3. Swimming – Something that I did not realize is that swimming in pools with chlorine can irritate the nose and sinuses. If I had known this I would not have been so adventurous that night.
4. Changing of Temperature – I also now understand that keeping a consistent room temperature can help to avoid sinus flair ups. Possibly my body became overwhelmed by the quick changes in temperature – outdoors in a swimsuit in 40 degree weather, then into an 80 degree pool, then into a hot tub heated to about 102 degrees and then out into the cold again. Possibly I may have even caught a bug/cold which then irritated my sinuses thus leading to an infection.
5. Alcohol – I am not a drinker, so this is not a problem for me. But I would be negligent to leave alcohol off the list because this is known to be something that triggers or brings on sinus problems. Researchers state that alcohol can bring on the swelling of the sinus walls which then leads to blockage and possibly later to an infection when mucus gets backed up.
6. Changing of Altitudes – Even though I was only a few hours away from home, Northern Michigan is clearly a higher altitude which means a change in atmospheric pressure. The same thing happens when you fly or hike.
7. Cigarette Smoke/Air Pollution – This is probably an obvious one. I am not a smoker and usually do my best to avoid being around anyone who is smoking. I try now to clean with homemade cleaners (I mix water with essential oils such as Rosemary or Lavender), or use my steam cleaner to avoid using harsh chemicals that may flare up or upset my sinuses.
To aid in keeping my nose free of bacteria, I now rinse it periodically with either a saline solution, or a mixture of warm water and a couple of drops of grapefruit seed extract. It is said that the grapefruit seed extract kills any bacteria from the nose. It can be very nasty coming down the throat but worth it in the end. I also try and use a spray such as peppermint oil, or tea tree oil (again I just mix distilled water and drops of the essential oil and put in a spray bottle) before and after the shower. Before the shower I spray on the curtains and around the bathrrom, and let the water get as hot as it can (until it steams) and sit in there for a while to let it loosen or clear any mucus, then I spray on my body afterwards as a body spray. This also keeps me from using any harsh perfumes that might irritate my nose. I also perioducally use an air diffuser to release essential oils in the area. Some that can be used to clear up bacteria/fungus are oregano or juniper berry. Do your homework before you start dealing with essential oils, especially if you are pregnant.
Reference:
- Cows Milk & SinusitisAlcohol & SinusitisAvoiding SinusitisReducing Your Risk of Sinusitis
