Chronic Sinusitis with Thick Post Nasal Drip and Swollen Sinuses, Throat & Uvula
Answered by: Susan Eagles
Question from: Theresa
Posted on: May 02, 2006
I’ve been suffering from Chronic Sinusitis for 7 months now (since Oct. 2005) and I’ve been taking Entex LA (Phenylephrine) and Mucinex (Guaifenesin) and both aren’t doing much to thin the mucus to get it moving. The mucus is as sticky as glue and comes out stringy (thin like cobwebs) or ropy (thick like 1/4" in diameter). My right nostril is swollen where I can barely get any mucus to come out of it and when the mucus comes out it’s green or yellow, but the mucus coming down the back of the throat is white colored and pus like. My sinuses, nose, throat, and uvula feel swollen. The mucus is stuck in my sinuses somewhere and is flowing as slow a crawl as ever down my throat and across my tongue that I have to contract a muscle in my throat that seems to feel like it’s hard to contract to get the mucus to come out of the roof of my mouth and then it comes out thick. My ears are making noises when I bend over or when I don’t constantly spit up mucus. I’m having trouble eating foods like cereals, beans, meats, dairy, bread, and bad fats, and some fruits like bananas that are sticky in texture or hard in texture (the mucus gets thicker). The only foods that seem to thin out mucus a little are red seedless grapes (the small juicy ones), Bartlett pears, Red Delicious apples, Himalayan Goji Juice, 100% Grape Juice, and that’s only for a short while. Also, I can’t figure out what herbs/spices/foods are useful as expectorants to thin the mucus better, anti-inflammatory to get the swelling to go down, and herbs to get the mucus to stop sticking to my sinuses like glue so it will drain thin instead of coming out thick and sticky.
Looking for the root cause of your sinusitis, and changing your diet, may be the most important steps towards your relief. Causes can include allergies, bacterial or viral infections, dental infection and nasal polyps or other sinus blockages. Avoid the allergy triggers: animals, pollens, dust, mould and fungi. Avoid the common food sensitivities: dairy, eggs, pork, wheat, tomatoes, strawberries and artificial flavourings, sweeteners and colourings. Avoid hydrogenated oils, candies, cakes and white sugar. Avoid mucus forming foods, which include dairy products, fatty meats grains containing gluten (rice and rice products are good substitutes) and other fatty foods, and bananas. Avoid the foods that you find make the mucus become thicker. Drink at least 2 liters of pure water to help thin the mucus. Do eat lots of fresh fruit (especially grapes) and vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables. These dietary restrictions are not forever, but until your condition has cleared.
An effective nasal douche is a pinch each of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and salt in ½ glass warm water. Mix in a glass of water, then "snuff" up the nose. Do this at lease twice daily.
For more information on sinusitis, please see our website, www.richters.com. Choose "Q&A" from the main menu, then enter "sinus" for the search. The item "Sinus Problems" lists the herbs and foods that are recommended for sinusitis.
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