Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinus cavities in and around our oral and nasal passages. Sinuses are air pockets within the skull that aid in the moisturizing of the air we breathe. Each sinus is connected to the nasal passage by small holes to aid in drainage of mucus and allows air in to be moisturized before entering our lungs. Each of these holes, connecting the sinuses to the nasal passageways, is about the size of a pencil tip. When these small holes get clogged it closes off the sinus from the rest of the nasal passage not allowing it to drain mucus. When the mucus builds up in the sinus, it is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, resulting in a sinusitis. The causes for blockage of the sinus are many but the most common reasons are allergies and the common cold. When someone experiences sinusitis they feel pressure between the eyes, sides of the nose, or in the front of the forehead. Many times this pressure results in pain in these areas.
What is the common treatment for sinusitis?
Many times when patients present to a medical doctor with sinusitis they are given repeat trials of antibiotics and decongestants. This type of treatment results in problems for the patient and is the main reason why people who suffer sinusitis usually never get complete relief from the illness. Antibiotics are chemicals which inhibit the reproduction of bacteria in our bodies, but they are not specific against just the bad bacteria which are causing a problem. Antibiotics also kill off the normal bacteria in our body called the norma flora. The norma flora is very important for our body’s normal function. These bacteria are harmless to our body and even helpful in its function. These bacteria aid in the digestion of our foods, but, more importantly, their presence in our digestive tract, respiratory tract, skin, and hair prevent abnormal overgrowth of more harmful invaders such as fungi. This is important to a person who suffers from chronic sinusitis because they are already having trouble with drainage of the sinuses when given antibiotics to treat the infection they rid themselves of their norma flora and now the fungi start to overgrow in the body including the sinuses. This is a problem because fungal infections are very difficult to treat with pharmaceuticals alone. When patients do not respond to this type of treatment, the next step in medical treatment is surgical approaches. Holes are cut into the nasal passage to aid in the drainage of mucus.
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What is the alternative approach to treating sinusitis?
Alternative medicine is a form of healthcare that does not use drugs or surgery. This form of healthcare uses the body’s natural abilities to heal itself by treating the cause of the problem. In the case of sinusitis, the cause of the problem is closure of the holes, which allow normal drainage. The cause of this problem is usually multifactoral so the treatment is not just a simple pill. Part of the problem is due to air pollution, environmental allergies, and smoking. Because of the condition of the environment, more people are suffering from this condition and others with very similar causes, such as increased risk of asthma. Another large factor contributing to the problems is what we consume, many foods contain chemicals that cause internal pollution in our bodies. External and internal pollution cause immune system disturbances, which are expressed as excessive mucus production in our bodies.
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How does Dr. Aiello approach this problem?
I find great success using the allergy desensitization technique. You can read about the technique in the article link. We find that if we can neutralize the allergen affecting the patient we will see complete relief with 72 hours. When the diet is cleaned up and the allergies are reversed even the worst cases I have seen will become medication free eventually. When our bodies are in better balance we are able to handle external/internal pollutants normally.