DrWeil.com

Question:

What is a good treatment for sinus infection? I am taking antibiotics
now and using a saline nasal spray, but would like to know of
alternative treatment.

Answer:

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology,
the east coast of the U.S. is experiencing very heavy pollen counts
this spring. This week, we're featuring advice from the archives that
will help you get through allergy season comfortably, wherever you
live.

Originally publihsed 4/29/2004

I try to avoid using antibiotics for treatment of acute sinus
infections (some studies suggest that people recover just as quickly
whether or not they take antibiotics). Instead, I recommend
acupuncture, which can be remarkably effective for relieving acute
sinusitis, an infection that can cause pain, headache, congestion and
obstructed breathing. Acupuncture can ease pain and promote sinus
drainage within minutes of the placement of the needles.

You also can promote sinus drainage by placing hot, wet compresses
over the whole sinus area (in your upper face) frequently. Work up to
as much heat as you can stand for 10 minutes at a time, several times
a day. Drink plenty of fluids to help moisten and thin the mucus in
your sinuses. Inhaling steam with a little oil of eucalyptus in it may
also ease clogging.

I also recommend regularly flushing your nasal passages with a warm
saline solution to relieve sinus congestion and prevent sinus
infections. Do this two to four times a day if you have an active
infection. You can use a Neti Pot, a traditional, Indian
nasal-irrigation device shaped like Aladdin’s lamp that lets you pour
the water into your nose. Or simply dissolve a teaspoon of salt in one
cup of warm water and pour some of the solution into your cupped hand
and inhale it through one nostril while closing the other with a
finger. Alternatively, you can sniff the solution from a small cup or
squirt it into your nostrils with a rubber-bulb syringe. The idea is
to inhale enough water to spit it out through your mouth.

Here are some other methods that can help:

If you have chronic sinus problems, eliminate milk and all milk
products from your diet (including prepared foods that list milk as an
ingredient). This can lead to dramatic improvement after about two
months.
Take astragalus (Astragalus membranaceous), the root of a native
Chinese plant that boosts immune system function. The usual dose is
two capsules twice a day unless otherwise directed on the package
label.
If you do take an antibiotic, be sure to take a probiotic to restore
the friendly bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract and may be
wiped out by antibiotics; I recommend the strain known as
Lactobacillus GG, which survives passage through the strong acid of
the stomach and actually makes it into the intestinal tract where it’s
needed. (One brand of Lactobacillus GG is Culturelle, sold on the
Internet or in health-food stores.)
Don’t smoke or expose yourself to smoke-filled environments. If you
suffer from allergies, consider equipping your house – or at least
your bedroom – with a good air filter.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Copyright 2006 Weil Lifestyle, LLC
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