Hidden Causes of Chronic Sinusitis

Despite many advanced forms of medications and surgery, a high percentage of chronic sinusitis cases cannot be cleared up. And, worse, its incidence has increased steadily over the past decade. People suffering from chronic sinusitis or other nasal problems are on the increase worldwide, interestingly particularly in the most developed countries.

This is because the modern approach to treat sinus problems is focused on clearing bacterial infections and providing symptomatic relief whereas chronic sinusitis has some hidden, underlying causes, which if not treated, render all medications and surgery ineffective.

The underlying causes of sinusitis are failure of mucociliary system, vasomotor (non-allergic) rhinitis, and mold allergy. These are the prime reasons why a certain fraction of people can breathe only through their mouths and are major reasons why chronic sinus conditions can be so hard to cure. Below is a brief explanation of them:

1. Failure of mucociliary system accounts for a huge share of chronic sinus problems. Mucociliary System is a mechanism, which serves to trap and, to some degree, destroy particles like pollen and foreign invaders such as viruses, bacteria and other infectious agents in your sinuses. Since microbes and allergens are always present in the air we breathe, we need this system to be constantly working; if it fails, sinus problems ensue and endure. And, without the system recovering, no surgery or medication, even the strongest antibiotics, will provide a lasting remedy.

Mucociliary defense is based on sinus membranes which host two special kinds of cells. These cells produce a flowing mucus blanket which covers all over the inner walls of the nose and sinuses and includes various kinds of antiseptic enzymes which kill or immobilize microbes.

If this natural cleansing and defense system fails for some reason, the gates of your sinuses are opened to many airborne microbes. If the mucociliary system stays in an impaired state for some time, sinus problems ensue. These problems do not only include infections. You may develop allergies or chronic nasal congestion due to constant inflammation at any age if your mucociliary system becomes debilitated.

In such a condition, help from outside will not give you lasting relief because microbes and allergens are always present in the air. Some patients, who never get relief from sinus medications and surgery, can't benefit because their mucociliary system does not function properly to cope with airborne microbes and allergens.

You cannot always take decongestants; you cannot live forever with sprays. Besides, even if you wanted to, you could not find a medication that would prevent all viruses from making you sick. Thus, you must have your mucociliary system functioning properly. Unfortunately, however, current medical approach never cares about it; actually oral antihistamines and oral decongestants debilitate the mucociliary system in the long turn making you dependent on drugs.

2.Vasomotor rhinitis: Vasomotor rhinitis is a nerve condition which keeps nasal passage clogged for no obvious reason. This constant obstruction of nasal airway paves the way to sinus infections.

Vasomotor rhinitis is not uncommon. It Experts at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (USA) claim that vasomotor rhinitis affects approximately 17 million people in the U.S. - both children and adults. As the total number of sinus sufferers in the US is 37 million, vasomotor rhinitis accounts for nearly one half of the cases. So, it is definitely a condition which must be treated but it rarely is.

Vasomotor rhinitis cannot be treated with drugs. So drug companies never support a study on vasomotor rhinitis. Scientists who want to study it cannot find funds. Also they cannot share their know-how because no symposium or conference on vasomotor rhinitis treatments is arranged since its treatment makes no money. As a result, most physicians have not even heard about this important health condition.

But, we have found out that Russian doctors were quite well informed about it and were treating it since 1960s. Their treatment is based on some breathing exercises and biofeedback exercises which you can do at home or office and it is quite successful.

3. Fungal allergy: This was discovered in 1999 for the first time but did not get attention until 2002. It is now accepted that a vast majority of chronic sinus sufferers are also afflicted with this form of allergy without being aware of it. Modern medicine is now working to develop drugs for it. But there is no one available yet. Besides what they are trying to do is to invent an antifungal spray that will kill fungi inside sinuses. This is another reflection of the main misconception about chronic sinusitis: Chronic sinusitis is not a disease that can be cured by clearing an existing infection. Those fungi and their spores are always present in the air and can invade your sinuses at any time. So, even if you clear fungi inside your sinuses after some time fungi will return. This is not a cure. Plus, as some serious doctors say fungal allergy stems from a sensitivity of the body towards airborne fungi. So, the true cure for fungal allergy is to eliminate or at least reduce that sensitivity.

It is a point of regret that modern medicine is not focused on the hidden, underlying causes of sinusitis. Therefore, it is not promising to come up with a definite cure for sinusitis unless a drastic change in approach takes place in some near future.