Sinusitis follows on the heels of asthma and allergies. In fact, it's closely connected and, I suspect, yeast plays just as important a part in the aggravating symptoms of sinusitis.
Almost 32 million Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis. That's 16.3% of the population and I was surprised to learn the majority of the sufferers are women.
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| Candida Overgrowth Symptoms |
I've been interested in sinusitis since my medical school days. AIthough I enjoyed excellent health, I was bothered by a stuffy nose and mucus in the back of my throat. Although I tried various therapies, I was bothered by these problems until I visited internist/allergist Theron Randolph in Chicago in the mid-1990s.
During our visit, Dr. Randolph noted that I was rubbing my nose and during my throat. When he learned that cow's milk was my favorite beverage he said, "Dr. Crook, milk could be causing your nasal congestion and sinus problems." I stopped drinking milk, and my sinus symptoms went away. Since then, they've only returned when I consume too many dairy products.
Over the years, I've found that many of my patients were helped by removing milk and other dairy products from their diets.
In the 1980s, after learning about Candida albicans from Dr. C. Orian Truss, I prescribed oral antifungal agents for many of my patients with nasal congestion and sinusitis, and some of them were helped by sniffing powdered nystatin.
During a visit to Washington, D.C. in the early 1990s, I had lunch with Dr. Alexander Chester, a board-certified internist. I was delighted and excited to know of his interest in food allergies and sensitivities and chronic fatigue syndrome. Here are excerpts from his letter published in the spring 1995 issue of the CFIDS Chronicle.
Most chronic fatigue is treated by internists, who ... have received little information about sinusitis in their training. Large internal medicine and medical specialty techs often devote little more than a paragraph to chronic sinusitis.
I became more interested in the yeast relationship to sinusitis after I read a 1999 Mayo Clinic report by otolaryngologist Jens U. Ponikau and colleagues. In a research study of more than 200 consecutive patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, these investigators found fungi in the sinuses of 96% of the patients and in over 20%, the fungus was Candida albicans.
While Dr. Ponikau found fungi both in people with and those free of chronic sinusitis, it is only those with sinusitis who have an allergic reaction to the fungi. For this condition, Dr. Ponikau recommends using antifungal nasal sprays. Results have been so dramatic using this treatment that the Mayo Clinic has applied for a patent on the spray.
Then in early 2000, I read the fourth edition of Dr. Robert Ivker's book, Sinus Survival. I was delighted to see that many pages of this book focused on Candida albicans. Here are excerpts:
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| Candida Overgrowth Symptoms |
I'm thrilled that medical science has now found objective evidence supporting the treatment of most cases of Type I (most severe) chronic sinusitis with antifungal medication ... In March 2000, in collaboration with William Silvers, M.D., a Denver allergist, the first Sinus Survival Study was completed. Each of the participants was a patient of Dr. Silvers with a long-term history of moderate to severe (Types I and II) chronic sinusitis. Every one of these patients scored above 180 on the Candida Questionnaire and Score Sheet, and each was treated with Diflucan, a powerful antifungal drug, in addition to the rest of the Sinus Survival Program. To find out more, you can check out Candida Overgrowth Symptoms.