Sinusitis, an extremely common illness that affects an estimated 33 million people every year according to the Mayo Clinic, occurs when the lining of your sinus cavities (which are in the facial bones around your nose) become inflamed. This can prevent mucus from draining out of your sinuses, allowing viruses, bacteria and fungi to multiply and cause infection and swelling.

Acute sinusitis is usually caused by infection with a virus or single type of bacteria, chronic sinusitis is usually caused by infection with a mixture of bacteria or allergies. It can occur at any time but may also follow a respiratory infection, such as a cold.

I will note here, that I get a LOT if not a majority of “sinusitis” cases that actually have nothing to do with the sinuses.  That being because the sinuses are behind the cranial bones, AND joints where the bones come together are usually the inflamed areas.  In this photo of the skull I have circled areas where individuals point when they have “sinus headaches” or pressure.  When in fact, it is joint inflammation of where two bones come together.

Again, when the sinuses become inflamed, it prevents mucus from draining.  But the sinuses aren’t always infected.  Yes, sometimes a good majority are because of the continual inflammation from the cranial joints, but not always.  Can you see though how the inflammation could start, which can then lead to infections getting in?

There are a number of steps you can take to prevent chronic sinusitis from flaring up and help reduce the symptoms naturally.

• Get Cranial Care.  These bones move every breathe we take, and when they aren’t moving correctly then this can block that sinus movement creating more sinus inflammation.

• CranioBiotic Technique–  Again a lot of sinusitis is hidden infections.  This technique I use in office helps me screen for hidden infections.  The major of sinus issues I find are usually a mix of infection but ALWAYS ALWAYS includes mold infections.

• Allergy testing.  Once I use CBT and help your immune system eliminate suspected infections out of the sinuses, a lot of “allergies” tend to go away.  Because the inflammation is down.  If there are “true” allergies, I can then screen for most common ones in my office, and either help your body desensitize against them, or we can always do blood testing if you want more definitive testing results.  * Most are usually just amazed how well the technique work they don’t bother with further testing. AND MOST don’t know you can get rid of allergies.

• Homeopathy.  After doing cranial work and CBT, Certain homeopathic combinations work amazing for drainage.  One I use called Drainage Tone has worked wonders.

•  Dairy products and gluten often encourage mucus production.  Commercialized dairy is not good for us anyways and laden with tons of antibiotics and a huge overdose in casein (milk protein) which is way higher than what we need.  We already know gluten is inflammatory.

• Drink plenty of water.

• Avoid alcohol, which can cause your sinus membranes to swell.

• Eat a variety of foods, like organic fruits and vegetables, to boost your immune system, which may help fight off an underlying infection, and reduce inflammation in your body.

• Inhale steam from a kettle or pot of boiling water (being careful not to get burned) or use a diffuser with essential oils! Which is way better and actually cleans and detoxifies the air.

• It is highly recommended that you use a high quality air filter to clean your home’s air. The Environmental Protection Agency says indoor air can be anywhere from two to five times as polluted as outdoor air and sometimes more than 100 times more polluted! When you breathe in polluted air, the pollutants reach much further than your nose, mouth and even lungs. Polluted air affects all of your body’s systems, particularly your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Because people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, having clean air inside should be a top priority.
• -What should you look for in an air purifier? The challenge with most air filters or purifiers is that air must be drawn to the unit, either through natural air flow, or through the use of a fan. This method results in uneven treatment and can leave pockets of polluted air, plus fans are noisy, subject to failure, and require higher levels of electricity. There are a few top rated air treatment system that do NOT wait for pollutants to contact a filter or plate. Instead, the these generates air purifying technology that migrates through the area and neutralizes organic odors, microbes and molds at their source. As a result, systems like this produces fresh clean air throughout your home or office uniformly, by addressing the pollutant source without the use of fans, filters, or plates! These type of air treatment systems use the most effective air purifying technology, called “photocatalysis,” which is actually a replication of how outdoor air is naturally purified. Some air treatment companies also provide excellent room sizing guides so you can choose the power level that is best for your individual family’s needs.  I like using an ozonator called MiniAer.

• Do my regular 21 day purification body cleanses.  Since the air and our food is toxic, making sure your body can cope with toxins is key!  Doing a cleanse is great for overall health.

A quick note here.  You could also have eye strain which is causing sinus and eye related headaches.  If you think this is the cause, please let me know as I have a wonderful functional ophthalmologist I can refer for vision therapy to fix the eye strain.