Submitted by David Overton
Why don’t antibiotics work for chronic sinus infections? Is chronic nasal congestion, sneezing or runny nose really due to allergies?
Conventional approaches use anti-bacterial drugs, antihistamines, steroids, allergy shots – all of which can have a lot of side effects – and surgery. Most anti-bacterial drugs are designed to work only against typical bacteria (staph, strep, others). Natural approaches include anti-candida treatments, natural allergy medicines, neti pots and food elimination diets.
Are these really getting at the cause? In many patients I see, these are not working because there is a sequence of treatable problems we can manage.
Many people have mixed viral infections and/or fungal infections and/or atypical bacterial infections (mycoplasma or chlamydia pneumonia) and/or dental problems that do not respond to standard treatments. These people have obvious sinus symptoms or often have subtle congestion, headaches, runny noses, ear, throat and lung problems.
Conventional and alternative anti-bacterial treatments may kill off healthy bacteria, known as probiotics. Steroid inhalers may reduce inflammation and congestion but may also depress local immune responses, allowing infections to thrive. Infections produce inflammation that blocks sinus drainage fooling people into thinking they have allergies. Anti-histamines dry up secretions providing relief but often plug up small ear, sinus, eye and bronchial drainage tubes causing inflammation and infections in the ears, sinuses, eyes and lungs.
Runny nose and congestion is often a biofilm produced by infections where the virus, fungus or bacteria is resistant to treatments and shielded from the immune system until biofilm treatments are started. Clear, white or tan nasal drainage is often due to mixed viral, fungal or atypical bacterial infections. Neti pots flush infections to the opposite sides.
How did I figure all this out? We often see low grade sinus infections on CT scans. We treat the combination of viral infections, fungal infections (especially candida or aspergillus) and atypical bacterial mycoplasma and chlamydia pneumonia infections. Testing is available to diagnose and manage mixed infections.
Next, we typically see symptoms controlled by using natural decongestants and a combination or sequence of treatments to support immune functions, break up biofilms and conventional and/or alternative treatments for mixed viral, fungal and atypical bacterial infections. It takes a change in thinking and changes in treatments to manage chronic sinus problems but it’s worth it to get relief.
If you’ve had chronic ear, sinus, nose, throat or lung problems, work with a clinician who can combine conventional and alternative approaches to get symptoms under control.
David Overton, PA-C owns Natural Medicines & Family Practice and treats patients by combining conventional and alternative approaches under the supervision of Dr. Richard Faiola, MD, ABFM.
