What? Antibiotics don't work for sinus infections?

That's right folks. The results of a new survey of millions of doctor visits show that most people receive antibiotics for sinus infections, which not only don't help most cases, but actually make things worse by creating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Read more about the study here.

Sinus pain, congestion, pressure and infections are something I see in the clinic all the time. Patients who suffer regularly come in begging for a few needles in the face:" give me the cat whiskers!" Acupuncture certainly gives rapid relief to the acute pain of a sinus headache and pressure. But what can one do in the long term to ease the often debilitating symptoms?

1. Regular acupuncture. No surprise that I am recommending this! But aside from relieving the acute stage, regular treatments can keep your immune system strong and your system at its best. Your Chinese Medicine practitioner can also provide herbal formulas for both acute and chronic stages.

2. Limit dairy foods, cold and raw foods and sugar. These all create 'damp' in the body, the pathogenic agent associated with phlegm, mucous and stagnation: recipe for congestion and pain. Other people find specific foods such as wheat sometimes aggravate their symptoms.

3. Sinus flushing. Even the staid voice of Western medicine is beginning to see the incredible power of this ancient Ayurvedic technique. Dr. Don Leopold, chair of the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Department of Otolaryngology who worked on the sinus survey I mention above, suggests it as an alternative to antibiotics: one that actually works. A doctor might recommend something fancy in a package, but I send my patients to the healthfood store to buy a neti pot. The idea might take some getting used to, but if you have suffered with sinus problems and especially the toll chronic infections take on your life, you will get over it when you notice you have gone weeks, and then months, without an infection.

Tomorrow is the vernal equinox. Celebrate spring without fear of pollen: Breathe easy with the wisdom of Chinese medicine!

Kirsten