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When Allergy Starts and Sinus Follows
37 million Americans have sinus disease; yet much of it is preventable. For example, sinus disease following allergy is definitely preventable.
Allergy can lead to a sinus infection. The more severe the allergy, the more probability of a sinus infection developing. After weeks of allergy, the nasal cilia are exhausted and no longer move bacteria out of the nose.
During an allergy attack - for example, in spring allergy due to trees, blowing your nose too hard can weaken the immune system by damaging the nasal membranes. Poor sleep, poor diet, anxiety, too many drying medications can reduce the normal immune response. In allergy, getting chilled, and too many iced drinks slow the good nasal cilia response.
Normally nasal cilia move bacteria out of the nose and keep you healthy. In the early stages of seasonal allergy the nasal cilia speed up and the nose drips. Later, the cilia are exhausted, and no longer move the bacteria out of the nose. When the bacteria remain in place, they can multiply and you end up with a sinus infection.
Other factors add to the problem- poor sleep and overall exhaustion. Plus many of the antihistamines products leave you with a dry nose. If the nose is dry, the nasal cilia don't have the liquid environment they need for good cilia movement.
How should you blow your nose??? GENTLY. No one would rub their eyes as hard as possible, yet the same person blows his nose hard enough to annoy his neighbors-- even in the apartment next door! That poor nose loses its immune factors and is less able to counter infection.
You prevent a sinus infection after a bad allergy by getting the cilia moving and washing away pollen and bacteria.
The primary weapon for prevention is Tea Lemon and Honey. Tea contains xanthines including L theonine that act to speed nasal and chest cilia. Lemon contains antioxidants and thins the mucus, thereby allowing better cilia movement. Honey kills bacteria and also thins mucus. About eight glasses of tea, lemon and honey is best. This must be black or green tea, with or without caffeine. One of the compounds in tea is called EGCG. This blocks the receptor that makes the allergic response of histamine and IgE. Chicken soup is also a cilia stimulator.
Other methods to speed cilia are humming in a low tone and singing "oooommmm" This needs to be practiced all day at the end of an allergy attack to help speed the nasal and chest cilia.
Pulsatile nasal/sinus irrigation is designed to pulse at a rate to best restore cilia function. Plus, the pulsating saline stream is best for removing bacteria from the nose and sinus cavities. For best bacteria removal, you can add one teaspoon of Johnson's Baby Shampoo to the 500 cc of saline. For example, the Hydro Pulse Nasal/Sinus Irrigator has a 500 cc bowl. Add warm water – preferably without chlorine. (Any bottled water is fine) –to the top mark of the bowl which is 500 cc. Then add one teaspoon of salt – best is kosher salt because it doesn't contain added chemicals. The one-teaspoon of salt to the 500 cc of warm water makes a 1% saline solution. Then add the one-teaspoon of Johnson's Baby Shampoo. This contains Surfactant products that loosen adhesive bacteria or biofilm.
If your mucus is colored, this suggests bacteria have developed in your sinuses. This means that the nasal cilia are not moving bacteria away. This may develop into a sinus infection, so it is important to use pulsatile irrigation for prevention.
A common cause of sinus infection is using squeeze or pot irrigators that have "flowback," With flowback, bacteria from the nose flows back into the bottle or pot and grow; then they are introduced back into the nose at the next irrigation. It is important to keep these devices free of bacteria.
Often an allergic individual is low on good intestinal bacteria. This can affect the immune system. Be sure your yogurt and probiotic intake are sufficient to support your immune system.
These recommendations are all important, yet good sleep is probably the most important factor in preventing your allergy from becoming a bad sinus infection.
Set your sleep clock. If you go to bed nightly at the same time then your sleep clock can be set. Make going to sleep as formal as possible with specific steps you repeat nightly such as:
Brush your teeth
Comb/brush your hair
Cream your hands/face
Try to have the same room temperature and bedclothes. Some persons do better with sleepy music or a TV show such as the Shopping Channel for men or the Sports Channel for women. You may want to discuss with your doctor about using Melatonin to help set that sleep clock.
Sinus disease following allergy is a preventable condition. Let's follow these recommendations to keep you healthy.
