Definition: Physical health is a condition of high energy and vitality;
freedom from illness, discomfort, and
disability; a strong immune system; the ability to perform personally
challenging physical feats.
1. To expell the lingerring "focal" infection or evil ( fu xie/hidding
evil), remove obstruction
2. To heal the mucous membrane lining the sinuses.(nourish yin)
3. To strengthen the immune system. (replenish wei qi /defensive qi)
4. Treat the Constitutional Pattern as differentiated
Solutions
Air: Optimum healthy air is clean (can't see or smell), moist (40-60%),
warm (65-85), negative-ion (3000-6000 cu.
cm.) and oxygen-rich (100% saturation) = Hawaii-like conditions. Denver's
air is filthy, dry, often cold, depleted of
ions as a result of particulate pollution, and has 17% less oxygen
saturation at a mile-high.You breath 16,000
quarts of air a day (15 breaths per minute times 1440 minutes per day)
and each quart has some 75,000 visible
particles in it.WE breath approximately 16,000 quarts of air per day,
and each guart has about 75,000 visible
particulants !!
You have a much better chance of improving the indoor air than the
outdoor air. It has been determined by the EPA
that indoor air in the average home is 5 to 6 times worse than the
air over LA, and much has been written on this
subject. Here you have a closed and more controlled environment. If
you have forced air heat, then the use of Air
Duct cleanning and electrostatic in line furnace heaterss are helpful
at riding dust, spores, and larger particulate
matter. However, these filters can only filter out fairly large molecules,
> 1 micron if that, and most bacteria and
viruses are smaller than this. For the more sensitive sinus challenged,
the use of a free standing Hepa air cleaner
may be necessary. These can take out particulate matter down to .5
micron at 95% efficiency. I used to carry
several brands of these including electrostatic, HEPA, negative ion/ozone
generators, and still have a few left I
would like to find a home for.
Moisture
Moisture helps to empty the sinus of its thick infected mucus and in
doing so aids in restoring normal cilial
function. As it does this, it also relieves nasal and head congestion,
headache, sinus pain, and sore throat. Warm,
moist air is best, and the easiest place to get it is in the bathroom.
Simply close the door and window and turn on the
hot water of the shower to create steam. Then you have the choice of
either getting in the shower (after adjusting the
temperature, of course) or just sitting and relaxing in the steam until
you run out of hot water. Remember to try and
make a conscious effort to breathe through your nose, thereby getting
the moisture where it will do the most good.
Hot towels applied over the face can also be helpful.
Since most of us do not have an endless supply of hot water in our
homes, making a steam room of your bathroom
can only be done two or three times a day. What about the rest of the
time? If you've decided to stay home from
work, your best alternative for moist air is a steam humidifier with
the bedroom door and windows closed. A recent
study showed that the more popular ultrasonic humidifiers give off
a significant amount of mineral particles (and
bacteria) which may make life harder for your sinuses. Running them
on distilled or filtered water and keeping the
door or window open will improve this situation, but steam humidifiers
are still the cleanest of all. Since the water
is boiled, the minerals never leave the machine. Whether you're home
or not during the day, it should be used every
night while you're treating the sinus infection motsture is very
helpful in relieving both the cough and sore throat
during the night.
Solutions for air and moisture
1. Negative-ion generator: produces clean ions; HEPA( High efficiency
Particulate Air) cleaner will take out
paticles down to .3 microns at 90% efficiency. Most molds, spores,
and bacteria are about 1 micron, viruses vary
between .1 micron and .5 micron (see epa chart)
2. Humidifier moisture; room unit and central (Applaince or General)
3. Plants: oxygen + moisture + clean
4. Furnace filter: pleated filter (3M), regular servicing
5. Air duct cleaning
6. Carpet cleaning, vacume cleaners vary greatly. I use a Rainbow which
filters through water down to 1 micron.
7. Air audit: Healthy Habitats(Carl Grimes) 671-9653 or Greg Marsh
421-3383
70+ % of the human body is water and every bodily function occurs through
the medium of water; everything
works better if you're well hydrated
1. Bottled (Hinkley L Schmitt, or Eldorado Artesian Springs) or filtered
as a les expensive'hassle free alternative.
There is much speculation over what type of filters are best, but certainly
a small chercoal filter at the end of the
spiget is useless.
2. Drink one-half ounce/pound of body weight Common sense rules here.
If you eat more meat, sugar, and acid
forming foods, then you require more water. If you eat more vegetarian
style, then less is required. Also, your
general constitution comes into consideration. Yin defficiency requires
more water, while a Qi and Yang
defficient type requires less.
3. Make it as convenient as possible and don't wait until you're thirsty
Another simple method for obtaining moisture (this assumes your environment
is relatively dry, as indoor air
tends to be during the winter months in most parts of the United States),
is to use a salt water (saline) nasal spray.
There are several commercial products available in many pharmacies,
e.g., Salinex, Ayr, or Ocean spray.
You can also make your own by mixing a teaspoon of salt in a
16-ounce (1-pint) glass of lukewarm water and
dispensing from a spray bottle. You should spray in each nostril while
pinching off the other nostril and
simultaneously inhaling through your nose. This can be done as often
as you'd like throughout the day. It's
nonaddicting and has no negative side effects that I'm aware of, except
for the curious looks you'll get from those
wanting to know what in the world you're doing.
A more effective way of moisturizing, but more importantly, irrigating,
is a saline irrigation. This procedure can
result in dramatic relief from pain. The reduction of pressure in the
sinus also improves blood flow. The salt water
sprays that I just mentioned also irrigate, i.e., wash out mucus, bacteria,
dust particles, etc., while reducing swelling
in the nasal passages. But they don't do it as well as the following
methods, which should be used three to four times
a day.
Make the irrigating (saline) solution fresh each day in one cup of
lukewarm tap water. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of
table salt and a tiny pinch of baking soda, making the solution close
to normal body fluid salinity and pH. Use the
full cup of saline solution for each irrigation, and irrigate with
the head inclined over the sink but in an upright
position. Always blow the nose very gently after irrigating.
Method 1. Completely fill a large all-rubber ear syringe (available
at most pharmacies) with saline solution.
Lean way over sink, and pinch one nostril closed. Insert syringe tip
just inside the open nostril, pinching nostril
around tip. Gently squeeze bulb and release several times to swish
solution around inside the nose. The solution will
run out both nostrils and may also run out the mouth. Repeat for each
nostril until one cup of saline solution is used.
Method 2. Pour saline solution into palm of hand, and sniff solution
up the nose, one nostril at a time. Spit out
solution and blow the nose very lightly afterwards.
Method 3. Use angled nasal irrigator attachment (available at some
pharmacies) on a Water Pik appliance. Set
Water Pik at lowest possible pressure and insert irrigator tip just
inside nostril, pinching nostril to seal. Irrigate with
mouth open, allowing fluid to drain out either mouth or nose.
Method 4. For very small children, irrigate with ten to twenty drops
of saline solution per nostril from an
eyedropper.
If you are using a decongestant nasal spray, use it only AFTER the
salt water nasal irrigations.
This method obviously requires more effort than the saline nasal sprays,
but many patients have commented on
how helpful it has been.
Saline is a good moisturizer, but often you may need to use something
to kill a lingerring infection. For this I
have used a decoction of Dandelion tea as a nasal irrigation.
This can be made either using a decoction of the dried
dandelion itself available from a health food store or Herbalist, or
made from adding a freeze dried powder to boiled
water (and then allowing to cool), available from an Herbalist. Dissolve
1-2 grams (about 1/2 teaspoon) in 1/2 cup
of preboiled water (or warm sterile water). After cooling to body temperature,
irrigate as described above. Do not
use a tincture or alcohol extract form.
Another solution which has been extremely effective in irrigation is
called Alkalol. It is a mucus solvent and
cleaner, and can be used with the saline solution in a l:l ratio (1/2
saline, 1/2 Alkalol) with all of the above methods.
You'll probably have to ask your pharmacist to order it for you because
it is not usually available. It's very
inexpensive.
Another solution which has been extremely effective is Glycogen, a derrivative
of Hydrogen peroxide, usually
used for cancer sores. It is available at your pharasist. Is
is gennerally sweetened and very strong at destabalizing
the bacteria, mucous, or yeast by its oxidizing action. Use only 2-4
drops per nostril while lying on your back. Be
prepared for some discomfort with this one if you have an infection.
Like hydrogen peroxide, it stings only if there is
an infection or lesion. I use this only for obstinate cases.
Steam Inhaler: use 2x/day for 10-15 minutes, before irrigation
Nasal irrigation: do 2x/day
a)Saline nasal spray: use frequently througout day, especially when
air is dirty and dry; mix your own
b) dandelion tea. Dandelion will act as a mild antibiotic/antviral/anti
yeast
c) (last option) Glyoxide from pharmacy Use only 2-3 drops per
nostril 1 x day very strong
The dietary recomendations from the Chinese perspective emphasise warm
foods to benifit the spleen (digestion).
The saying is that the Spleen creates phlegm, and the Lungs (including
lymphatic and sinuses) store it. So besides
clearring the local phlegm, one must be sure to stop the phlegm
at it's source (undigested foods).
For more reading on this, see my June newsletter,
"3) Food, Raw versus cooked?" linked to my webpage
http://home1.gte.net/news2.htm.
However, I also agree with the raw food enzyme school ot thought that
we live in a time of depleted foods and
enzyme content. Hence the use of a product that is both a "raw" food
in that it is made from the juice of these fruits
and vegetables, but is also processed (by juicing and drying) enough
that it does not overwhelm the gut with an over
abundance of cold dampenning, and therefore phlegm producing, food.
For my letter on this and more information
and research, please see my linked page: Juice
Plus
A healthy diet is ricn in fruits and vegetables (especially those
rich in vitamins A,C,E, beta carotene, zinc, and
selenium); whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, oats, or
millet), legumes and fiber (bran cereals, beans,
apricots, and prunes); protein (nuts, seeds, fish, turhey, and tofu)
For those who find this difficult, or who wish
increae their fruit and vegetabe intake, there is the alternative,
Juice Plus, which is flash dried fruits and vegetables
in the convienience of a capsule form.See previous refference and link.
Especially avoid sugar, milk and dairy, caffeine, and alcohol.
With candida, follow a candids control diet
Average about 8 hours; if you're waking up to an alarm clock you're
not getting enough sleep.
This is of course one of my main therapies and as stated requires the
intake and evaluation that we have
done.Herbs should be tailor made according to your pattern.
There are a few general pattents that are also used besides constitutional
and therepeutic principles, which are
based on pungent herbs that open the sinuses. These are inexpensive
chinese made patents that I can't legally
recomend since they generally are not under FDA regulation and have
in the past have caused me legal headaches.
Nevertheless, I list them as possible adjunctive therapies or subsequent
follow up.
Bi Yan Pian- most commonly used- uses the traditional Xanthium and Magnolia
Flower combination (comprises
50% of the formula) (two pungent herbs to open pasage ways) and the
feat and toxin clearring herbs Honeysuckle
(Lonicera) and Forsythia, along with a few other complementary jerbs.
Tablet Bi Tong- another variation of the above, a bit stronger
for painful sinus condition. I have noted
improvement when using this as an adjunct.
Ching Bi Tang (Pueria Nasal Combination) This is a more warming
Nasal Oil--drops
Sugested suppliments from other sources recomend a mutivitamin and antioxidants
(like Vitamin C, Beta Carotene,
Vitamine E, and selenium) and Garlic. (again, Juice
plus offers all these, as well as the other gut enhancing factors)
A popular approach at our integrative clinic is to investigate the
permeability factor, ie, health of the intestines. This of course is Spleen
defficiency by TCM, but the western treatment protocol uses supplementation
wth amino acids, Omega 3 fatty acids, and some other ingrediants known
to enhance the intestines, along with digestive enzymes, and a benifit
the intestinal bacteria product.
I gennerally recomend only the one product(Juice lus) for
suplementation which encompases bioavailable antioxidants, enzymes, fiber,
acidophylis, phytochemicals,vitamins, minerals, and more. This is really
a whole food dried at low temperatures to preserve the enzyme and nutrient
content In difficult and extreme "leaky Gut" syndrones, I will include
the "Permeability Factors" formula.
Potentially the healthiest thing you can do, since it provides more
oxygen to every cell in your body; maintain your
fitness heart rate (= 220 minus your age x 65 to 85%) for 30 minutes
5x/week, but work up to this VERY
gradually.
I jokingly used to tell my office bound clients that rather than seeing
me every week for acupuncture, they spend their $50 on a ski ticket and
get a full day of fresh air and exercise. Its amazing how much phlegm comes
out while skiing.(you must spit it out, don't swallow, which the Chinese
allude to as "Phlegm drink", and hence the extreme amount of spitting that
goes on in China and spitoons everywhere).
To open the sinuses and assist in mucus drainage, the following maneuvers
are used: (1) with the index finger
and thumb over the bridge of the nose (at the junction of the bone
and the soft, flexible part of the nose) palpate to
find any tender or sensitive points along this ridge (called bi-tong
"nose pain" point), then pinch hard for about 30-
60 seconds; and (2) with both index fingers by the side of the nose,
massage the points just lateral and below the
nostril oppenning (called "welcome fragrance" by the chinese. The pressure
should be applied hard enough to cause
some discomfort. These procedures can be repeated several times a day;
they come under the heading of finger
acupressure.
There are also points on both the toes and hands located at the webs
between the fingers and toes, as well as on
the sides of the toes. Again, seek out tender or sensitive points,
and the apply pressure with your fingers or the eraser
part of a pencil for 30-60 seconds and with enough pressure to cause
some discomfort. These are part of the
technique of reflexology.
Hum the letter M. frequently
Colon Therary
There are two parts of the colon (large bowel) whose malfunctioning
is associated with sinus infections-the
ileocecal and transverse colon. To treat the sinus, maneuvers are performed
on both of these areas of the bowel. The
ileocecal area is approximately midway along an imaginary line drawn
between the crest or uppermost part of the
pelvis (hip bone) and the navel. This area is jabbed with the fingertips
of your right hand and the hand is rotated in a
clockwise, then counterclockwise motion while the fingertips are still
touching the abdomen. For the transverse
colon, a colon cleanse is recommended. This consists of several ingeriants.
These are available from a health food
store and vary in application and intensity according to their
ingrediants. There are several brands, e.g., Colon #8,
ABC by Aerobic, Colon Cleanse, or Ultra Clear.
Some caution is required when doing strong purgative colon cleansers.
This should be confimed by symptoms of
full abdomen, constipation, and heat confirmation of some degree,
including fever, thirst, yellow urine, dryness, and
restlessness. This is the principle of purging heat downward out of
the head downward out of the bowel.
Be suspicious of candida with frequent (3+ in one year) sinus infections
treated with antibiotics, female, fatigue,
muscle aching, constant yellow mucus, depression, mental fog (lack
of concentration or memory)
Books: The Yeast Syndrome, Trowbridge and Walker Rx: Nizoral, Diflucan,
or Sporonox--kill candida
Flora Balance bacillus laterosporus; good bacteria Intestinalis--herbal
combination for intestinal candida
Sinus Survival, by Dr Rob Ivker