Today we appreciate how much the sinus affects asthma and related cough. Sinuses and lungs come from the same embryo bud and have systems known as cilia. These are tiny oars that beat to move bacteria out of the sinus and chest. Sinus drainage affects cough and asthma. Why do we cough, even when we are not particularly sick?
The coal minor digs coal and inhales coal dust. But he doesn't cough. Then he inhales a large piece of coal dust, too big for the chest cilia to move out of the lungs. Now he coughs.
Mr. Jones never coughed before. There was an accident at the plant and he inhaled a large amount of Chlorine Gas. Now he coughs. Tests show that his chest cilia no longer move at 14 pulses/second in order to remove material from the lungs. Chlorine is a known cilia inhibitor. If the chest cilia are not moving particles out of the lungs, then coughing takes over to do the job.
Sinusitis occurs when the nasal cilia move too slowly, thereby allowing bacteria to multiply in the sinuses. After 9/11 many of the rescuers developed sinus disease as a result of the nasal cilia being damaged by the toxic fumes. Unfortunately, many also cough. How does the nasal/chest cilia work?
There is a layer of mucus that traps bacteria. Below that layer there are tiny cilia, like oars, and they move the mucus blanket with the trapped bacteria out of the nose where it falls into the stomach and the stomach acid takes out the bacteria.
In the chest the cilia move the mucus blanket out of the lungs, the trachea and into the stomach. When cilia fail in the lungs, cough takes over. When cilia fail in the nose, you sneeze.
In Postnasal Drip, the cilia move too slowly and the mucus thickens. The bacteria have time to multiply so you get breath problems.
In allergy, in the acute stage, the nose runs because the cilia are trying to wash out the allergens. Weeks later, the cilia are exhausted, no longer able to move bacteria out, and sinus disease develops. You can prevent this by restoring normal cilia movement.
After sinus surgery the nasal cilia are "stunned" and move slowly or not at all. Even though the surgeon says that the sinus disease is corrected, and X-rays show improvement, the patient may continue to complain of nasal congestion, yellow or green discharge and felling tired or sick. A sinus infection can take place that requires an antibiotic. This condition is called Post Operative Nasal/ Sinus Infection Syndrome or PONSIS.
PONSIS may be due to biofilm that resists antibiotics or can be caused by blockage of sinus drainage due to thick phlegm. This phlegm and drainage adds to the cough and wheezing symptoms. Pulsatile irrigation at the correct speed of pulsation not only helps restore normal cilia function, but also is effective in disrupting and removing biofilm. Pulsation irrigation is best for getting rid of thick mucus and the bacteria. With fewer bacteria and good cilia function, the body can heal without drugs.
A common cause for persistent sinus sysmptoms is daily use of nasal irrigation devices that have flowback. The bacteria from the nose flows back into the bottle and the bottle is contaminated. Then the sinus is reinfected by the contaminated liquid.
The cilia of the nose and chest are closely related:
- Hot tea with lemon and honey helps the nasal cilia as well as the chest.
- Allergy pills that help the nose also help the allergic chest.
- Prednisone affects both areas similarly.
- In infection, cultures from the sinus and lungs show similar results.
- The speed of the nasal cilia is often identical to the speed of the chest cilia.
- The severity of the asthma attack is inversely proportional to the cilia speed-the slower the cilia, the worse the attack.
- Harmonic vibration can affect both nose and chest favorably. Sing "oooommmm' at a low tone. Your chest and nasal cilia will speed up.
- Both chest and nasal cilia respond to the same medications.
What should you do if you have PONSIS? Or, you continue to have sinus or chest symptoms?
- Drink huge amounts of hot tea, lemon and honey. Should be black or green tea, with or without caffeine.
- Sing "oooooommmm" at a low tone
- Jump rope and jumping jacks
- Irrigate with saline using pulsatile irrigation.
- Take probiotics/yogurt
- Get good sleep
- Avoid heavy nose blowing
- Listen to cheerful music and smile
Tea has chemicals that speed cilia movement.
Singing "ooommm" and jump rope thins mucus and vibrates cilia.
Pulsatile saline irrigation with the Hydro Pulse Nasal/Sinus irrigator is at a pulse rate that is "harmonic" to restore slow cilia. The pulsation removes biofilm, and the steady stream is best to suction out bacteria from the sinus cavities.
Chronic Sinusitis has the same causes as PONSIS- slow cilia that allow bacteria to multiply and the same methods are used to prevent sinus symptoms. This method also is used to prevent the need for sinus surgery.
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