The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Sinusitis.(Part 1).

Sinusitis occurs when the sinuses are infected or inflamed. Sinusitis affects millions of Americans each year. Sinuses are hollow spaces in the bones around the nose and eyes that drain into the nose. When the sinuses cannot properly drain because of congestion or inflammation, fluid is trapped inside the sinus cavities. Fluid in the sinuses causes pressure, pain, and provides a place for bacteria or fungi to multiply. Sinusitis can be acute, lasting 3 to 8 weeks, or chronic, lasting more than 8 weeks. A chronic infection is more common and more severe in people with a weak immune system or who suffer from fungal infections.

The Raj program for sinusitis is conducted under the supervision of an Ayurveda Health Consultant and draws on knowledge from Maharishi Ayurveda, the world's oldest and most complete system of natural health care.

Through its unique assessment of causal imbalances at the basis of a condition and its wide range of time-tested recommendations, Maharishi Ayurveda provides the most comprehensive natural approach for sinusitis available today.

Ayurveda Assessment of Balance and Imbalance in Sinusitis.

Sinusitis can be caused by both bacteria and fungus. A bacterial infection usually occurs after a cold or virus when the congestion in the nose stops drainage from the sinuses. This fluid buildup in the sinuses breeds bacteria and may cause sinusitis. However, it has recently been proven that sinusitis can also be an immune response to a fungus. In fact, the Mayo Clinic recently published a study which found that over 90% of sinus infections are fungal rather than bacterial. Thus, antibiotics (which are the most commonly prescribed treatment) are completely ineffective (not to mention damaging to the immune system) over 90% of the time.

A quick review of the sinusitis condition shows how many imbalances could contribute to the condition. Therefore a true healing of sinusitis will usually require a multifaceted, natural approach like the one offered at The Raj.

Sinusitis usually starts with some infection or allergic reaction in the paranasal sinuses. Poor diet, digestion and elimination can create an internal environment in the sinuses that allows infection and allergies to more easily occur (see the "allergy" section in our web page for discussion of the Ayurveda approach to allergies). Stress, poor lifestyle, bad circulation and lack of rejuvenative regimens can deteriorate the body's immune response to invading organisms in the sinus area. We quickly see how many variables can predispose individuals to infection and allergy in the sinuses.

For those with allergies, sinusitis can be caused by irritants, such as smoke and pollution, and allergens such as dust, mold, and pollen. Structural problems in the nose from a break, a deviated septum, or polyps can also block the sinuses and lead to an infection.8 Overuse of decongestant sprays is also a cause of sinusitis. In rare cases, sinusitis can be caused by an abscessed tooth. Sinusitis can also develop because of tooth or gum infections, nosebleeds, an aging immune system, or dryer nasal secretions that do not drain well.

The Ayurveda assessment of balance and imbalance does not simply identify the gross physical abnormality and match up drugs to a symptom. This is because people can have the same disease for different reasons. For example, ten people could walk into a doctor's office with a headache and have it for ten different reasons. Likewise not everyone has sinusitis for the same reasons.

Ayurveda evaluation determines the imbalances in the functioning modes of the body. These underlying imbalances are the root causes of a condition and must be removed if real healing is to occur.

While acute sinusitis is most often brought on by an acute upper respiratory infection—such as the common cold, which is caused by a virus—as stated above, the Mayo Clinic has done some pioneering research which demonstrates that most cases of chronic sinusitis are actually the result of a fungal infection, the most prevalent of which may be Candida albicans.

By determining the causal imbalances at the basis of a disorder, Ayurveda assessment helps our Ayurveda Health Consultants address the fundamental source of ill health in the individual.

Since sinusitis can be influenced by many factors, such as diet, digestion, toxin accumulation, stress, exercise levels and daily routine, the Ayurveda approach to the condition is a comprehensive one that balances many physiological functions simultaneously.

Research has also shown that sinusitis can be caused by exposure to toxic mercury vapor, whether from first- (from the presence of "silver" fillings in your mouth) or second-hand exposure.

The Root Causes of Sinusitis.

According to Maharishi Ayurveda, the following general types of imbalances are at the source of most chronic conditions, including sinusitis:

1. Toxins accumulating in tissues and blocking circulation;
   
   
2. Poor nutrition;
   
   
3. Poor digestion;
   
   
4. Imbalance of the nervous system;
   
   
5. Accumulation of physical and mental stress;
   
   
6. Lowering of natural resistance and immunity;
   
   
7. Disruption of natural biological rhythms.
   
   

You may have acute sinusitis if you are experiencing any of these symptoms lasting 3 to 8 weeks:

• Yellow or green nasal congestion, usually thick;
• Pain and swelling near the infected sinus;
• Headaches concentrated in the front;
• Tooth pain;
• Fever or chills;
• Sore throat (from postnasal drip);
• Reduced sense of smell or taste;
• Fatigue.

The common modern medical approach to match drugs to symptoms does not completely address many of these factors. As a result, modern medicine often cannot fully remove the disorder and the condition becomes chronic. Chronic means that the condition persists over time even with the best modern medical treatment. Currently over 100 million Americans suffer from a chronic condition, indicating that some new approach is needed in our health care.

A Natural Treatment Program for Sinusitis.

Following is a discussion of how The Raj program for chronic conditions provides the most comprehensive set of natural recommendations available today to address the true causes of sinusitis. These therapies are not only effective at removing the imbalances at the basis of chronic disorders but also have no significant side-effects. The goal of this Ayurveda approach is to enliven the body's natural healing and self-repair ability not only to help cure sinusitis, but also to prevent disorder and create the highest state of health and well-being.

You may have chronic sinusitis if you are experiencing any of these symptoms lasting more than 8 weeks:

• Yellow or green nasal congestion, usually thick;
• Pressure-like pain on the forehead, temples, cheeks, nose, or around or behind the eyes;
• Difficulty breathing through the nose;
• Aching in the upper jaw and teeth;
• Chronic congestion;
• Postnasal drip and sore throat;
• Poor sense of smell;
• Ear pain;
• Bad breath;
• Dry cough.

1) Removing the Buildup of Toxins and Impurities.

Most chronic disorders start when toxins accumulate in tissues and begin to disrupt the delicate biochemistry there. Toxin buildup can also obstruct the channels of circulation and elimination. This blockage prevents proper nutrition from reaching the tissues and blocks the processes that cleanse them of impurities.

Your Ayurveda Health Consultant will provide natural recommendations to remove and help prevent toxin accumulation from:

1. Hard-to-digest food;
   
   
2. Poor digestion;
   
   
3. Poor elimination;
   
   
4. Improper metabolism;
   
   
5. Mental and physical stress.
   
   

The quality of your health depends upon many pieces that not only include the health of your bodily systems, but also include a healthy diet, exercise, and spirituality.

Maharishi Rejuvenation Therapy (MRT) Treatments.

The most powerful treatments for removing toxins and opening circulation are the Maharishi Rejuvenation Therapy treatments you receive each day of your in-residence stay.

Diet: Treatment of sinusitis may center on developing general healthy dietary guidelines, in addition to making some key adjustments in your relationship with food.

This daily three-hour treatment program of massage, heat treatment and mild herbal enema is the cornerstone of your in-residence stay at The Raj. These three treatments received in combination every day for 5 to 21 days create the ideal internal physical environment for healing.

Dietary recommendations for sinusitis include:

• Eat foods rich in vitamin C, like grapefruit, oranges, and tangerines. Studies that have shown that high levels of vitamin C help clear congestion;
• Add chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and/or horseradish to your daily recipes. These foods contain agents that break up mucus and relieve congestion;
• Eat pineapple. It contains bromelain, which helps reduce inflammation in the nasal passages.

Maharishi Rejuvenation Therapy treatments address the problem of toxin accumulation through systematically:

1. Loosening impurities that have become embedded in tissues and helping liquefy them for easy absorption into the circulation and eventual elimination;
   
   
2. Softening and opening the channels of circulation and elimination so proper nourishment can reach the tissues and impurities can be more easily eliminated from them;
   
   
3. Activating the elimination process for the most thorough cleansing of the entire physiology.
   
   

• Choose high-quality, organic, hormone- and antibiotic-free “grass-fed” meats.
• Increase your omega-3 essential fatty acids by selecting high-quality wild-caught salmon, miminal-mercury albacore tuna, fish oil, avocados, and sprouted walnuts.
• Eat raw, organic vegetables.
• Add high-quality fiber to your diet, such as ground flax seed.
• Add healthy saturated fats to your diet, such as organic virgin coconut oil.

Herbalized Oil Massage.

Herbalized oil massage is used both at home and in our in-residence treatments to aid the cleansing process.

Your Ayurveda Health Consultant will choose a specific herbalized oil that is individually prepared for your condition. You will also be instructed in the technique of Ayurveda massage, which involves using specific strokes over different parts of the body.

• Choose sprouted, whole-grain products.
• Add nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods, such as sprouted nuts and seeds, to your diet.
• Drink purified water throughout the day.

Herbalized oil massage provides a deeply soothing and balancing effect for the entire physiology. The motion of massage creates heat and friction which enhance circulation and help cleanse affected tissues of chemical impurities that could be causing symptoms of sinusitis. The oil and herbs cleanse and nourish the tissues to aid their repair and development.

Foods to AVOID include:

• Common allergy-causing foods such as dairy products, eggs, wheat, and corn (including corn derivatives such as dextrose, maltodextrin, corn syrup, fructose, modified starch, corn starch, margarine, shortening, and corn oil) – Chronic sinusitis can be caused by an underlying food allergy or intolerance.;
• All simple or refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, processed snack foods, etc.) – Read more about good cards and bad carbs.;
• All foods containing refined sugar or artificial sugar-substitutes such as aspartame, Splenda®, etc. Choose a natural sweetener like Xylosweet instead.

The various herbs that have been boiled into a base oil, and the oil itself, are specifically chosen for their effect in removing the imbalances at the basis of your condition. The oil helps the balancing process by allowing the herbs to more deeply penetrate the affected tissues.

Your program involves two types of Ayurveda herbalized massage:

1. The home program involves herbalized self-massage for 5-10 minutes in the morning before you take your shower;
   
   
2. During the in-residence portion of your program, highly trained Ayurveda technicians will give you a very specialized massage each day, using oils in which as many as 50 herbs have been cured. These special oils are only available as part of the in-residence program.
   
   

• Alcoholic beverages in excess, since they hinder the functioning of the immune and digestive systems;
• Limited cheese and wine;
• Fungi such as mushrooms;
• Pickled foods;
• Sweetened fruit juices that spike blood sugar levels too rapidly;
• Fruit juices, since they spike blood sugar levels too rapidly;
• Carbonated soft drinks that cause blood pH levels to become acidic;
• Bottom crawlers such as oysters, clams, and lobster that may contain toxic levels of mercury.

2) Proper Nutrition.

Your Ayurveda Health Consultant will provide you with detailed understanding of which foods to favor and avoid for your condition. Avoid foods that are hard-to-digest, clogging to the physiology and aggravating to the functioning modes that are already imbalanced in you. Favor foods that are easy-to-digest, nourishing, cleanse the physiology, strengthen digestion and balance your body's inner intelligence.

One of the great strengths of the Ayurveda dietary approach is that it contains knowledge of how to have a light, easy-to-digest diet that still is both satisfying and nourishing.

• Deep-sea fish such as tuna, mackerel, and swordfish that may contain toxic levels of mercury. Choose minimal-mercury albacore tuna instead;
• Farm-raised fish that contain PCBs and not enough omega-3 essential fatty acids, due to their land-based diets. Choose wild-caught salmon instead.;
• Sodium nitrite found in processed foods such as hot dogs, lunch meats, and bacon.

Many individuals have easily followed this diet and have improved their digestion and energy while also reducing their symptoms.

Proper food preparation.

During your in-residence stay at The Raj you will also learn the basic principles of Ayurveda cooking. The Raj cooking classes provide knowledge of how to prepare foods in ways that create maximum nourishment for the body while simultaneously preventing incomplete digestion and clogged circulation.

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in many foods as a flavor enhancer
• Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils found in many processed foods, deep-fried foods, fast foods, and junk food – Read more about good fats and bad fats.
• Limited caffeine intake – While moderate amounts of caffeine may be beneficial, excessive consumption of caffeine may aggravate sinusitis... [read more]

Ayurveda herbs.

Herbs are considered nutritional supplements in Ayurveda. Their purpose is to restore balance to the specific functioning modes whose malfunctioning is causing your condition. During your personal interview, our Ayurveda Health Consultants select the appropriate herbal formulas for aiding the healing process, strengthening digestion and helping the body purify itself of toxins and free radicals.

Latex Allergy Desensitization by Exposure Protocol..(Part 2)

Allergy skin tests: Identify the sources of your sneezing.

For more than a century, doctors have used skin tests to help diagnose allergies. During these tests, your skin is exposed to allergy-causing substances (allergens) and then is observed for signs of an allergic reaction.

Results.

According to the inclusion criteria, the prick test with latex extract and the anti-NRL IgE radioallergosorbent test were positive in all subjects, whereas the patch tests were negative. The results of contact provocation tests and the mucous challenges were positive in all patients as well. These data are consistent with the occurrence of an IgE-mediated (Type I, immediate) allergy to latex.

Along with your medical history, skin tests can confirm whether signs and symptoms, such as sneezing, wheezing and skin rashes, are caused by allergies. They can also identify the specific substances that trigger allergic reactions. Such information can help your doctor develop an allergy treatment plan that may include allergen avoidance, medications or allergy shots (immunotherapy).

The prick test with corn was negative in all the investigated subjects. No dermographism was present. The results of prick tests with food allergens (prick-by-prick method) were positive in some patients, both in treated and control subjects.p>

The contact desensitization protocol was successfully completed in all treated patients, with no remarkable side effects.

Skin testing is widely used to diagnose allergic conditions such as hay fever, allergic asthma and dermatitis (eczema). It's safe for people of all ages, including infants and older adults.

After the 12-mo treatment, all patients could wear latex gloves on both hands for more than 1 h daily, with no side effects. This fact was particularly important for professional health care workers with latex-induced occupational allergy, who are supposed to use latex gloves daily.

Blood tests (in vitro allergen-specific IgE antibody tests) are particularly useful for those who should not undergo skin tests. Although blood tests can be as accurate as skin tests, they're not performed as often because they may be less sensitive and are more expensive. If you want to start immunotherapy — a series of injections intended to increase your tolerance to allergens — you need either a skin or blood test to identify the specific substances that trigger your allergies.

All the patients, at the end of the treatment, could stay in an environment where they were exposed to latex inhalation. The desensitization treatment also resulted in a clinical improvement of the associated cross-reactions, because Patients 1, 3, and 4 could eat again melon, fresh tomato, or banana and pineapple without any clinical symptoms.p>

The mucous challenge, performed to better confirm the occurrence of a complete desensitization, had negative results in all treated subjects.

Before recommending a skin test, your doctor will ask detailed questions about your medical history, your signs and symptoms, and your usual way of treating them. Your answers can help your doctor determine if allergies run in your family and if you might also have them.

Moreover, Patient 3 became pregnant after the desensitizing treatment and successfully delivered a baby. During pregnancy and delivery, the patient was always examined and assisted by latex-glove-wearing medical staff, and she had no allergic reactions.p>

After the desensitization, the allergological examination showed a marked reduction of the cutaneous response to latex antigens.

Next, your doctor will perform a physical examination to search for additional clues about the causes of your signs and symptoms.

The mean diameter of the wheal of the prick test with latex standard extracts (dilution 1:100) decreased from 9 to 4 mm in Patient 1, from 10 to 5 mm in Patient 2, and from 10 to 3 mm in Patient 3. Also, the reactions to prick tests to food allergens were markedly decreased after desensitization to latex (from 7 to 3 mm to tomato and from 5 to 2 mm to melon in Patient 1; from 8 to 4 mm to banana in Patient 3; and from 5 to 2 mm to pineapple in Patient 4).p>

Your medical history and physical examination may provide enough information for your doctor to discuss your diagnosis and treatment. If so, a skin test may be unnecessary. But if your doctor is uncertain that you have allergies or suspects that you have allergies and needs more information about the possible causes, he or she may recommend that you have a skin test.

An almost 40% decrease in specific IgE levels was observed after treatment (from 9.48 ± 2.32 to 5.86 ± 2.62 U/mL; mean ± SE). However, such a difference did not reach statistical significance (paired Student’s t-test), probably because of the reduced number of subjects investigated. The values of total IgE did not show significant changes after desensitization (from 204.5 ± 68.1 to 190.3 ± 92.5 U/mL).p>

No significant variation in specific IgG4 levels was observed after treatment.

Before scheduling a skin test, your doctor will need a list of all your prescription and over-the-counter medications. Some medications can suppress allergic reactions so that the skin testing can't be performed. Other medications may increase your risk of developing a severe allergic reaction during a test.

All control subjects still exhibited a positive contact and mucous challenge with latex, as well as positive latex (and specific food) prick tests, at the end of the 1-yr follow-up period. Serum values of total and specific IgE levels did not significantly vary in control subjects after the follow-up period.

Because medications clear out of your system at different rates, your doctor may ask that you stop taking certain medications for up to 10 days. Medications that can interfere with skin tests include.

Discussion.

Until now, the principal therapeutic approach to latex allergy was to avoid exposure to latex. However, this seems particularly difficult because of the ubiquity of latex-containing products, their similarity to nonallergenic synthetic rubber products, and often inadequate and sometimes misleading product labeling.p>

Skin testing is usually performed in a doctor's office. Typically, a nurse administers the test and a doctor interprets the results.

Moreover, because the transmission of blood-borne diseases is one of the most pressing public health concerns, the use of (often latex-containing) gloves and condoms is essential to reduce the risk of sexually or blood-transmitted diseases. Current efforts by industry and by the Food and Drug Administration aim at reducing the antigenicity of medical latex products, although it is doubtful that any latex product could be made 100% antigen free.p>

Contrary to what you may have heard, skin tests cause little if any discomfort. Because the needles used in these tests barely penetrate your skin's surface, you won't bleed or feel more than mild, momentary discomfort.

Sensitized health care workers are encouraged to wear low-protein, powder-free gloves. However, the protective effect of some alternative gloves is controversial, and some of them are unacceptable to surgeons because nonlatex gloves generally do not have the same mechanical characteristics as latex ones and therefore do not provide an accurate "touch."p>

Some tests detect immediate allergic reactions, which develop within minutes of exposure to an allergen. Other tests detect delayed allergic reactions, which develop over a period of several days.

There are two recent reports dealing with patients experiencing allergy to latex who underwent a subcutaneous specific desensitization. However, many patients developed important side reactions during the treatment which required the use of epinephrine or steroids.p>

A puncture, prick or scratch test checks for immediate allergic reactions to as many as 40 different substances at one time. In adults, the test is usually done on the forearm. Children are usually tested on the upper back.

Our patients are the first to be treated with a contact desensitization. The adopted protocol seems to be very effective, because after treatment, patients with demonstrated allergy to latex could tolerate exposure to latex without any symptoms.

After cleaning the test site with alcohol, the nurse draws small marks on your skin and applies a drop of allergen extract next to each mark. He or she then uses a sharp instrument (lancet) to introduce the extracts into the skin's surface. A new lancet is used for each scratch to prevent cross-contamination of allergens. The drops are left on your skin for 15 minutes, and then the nurse observes your skin for signs of allergic reactions.

The proposed contact desensitization protocol seems absolutely safe (even though we treated only a few patients), and no side effects were reported. Moreover, we reported a slight decrease of serum-specific IgE to latex in treated patients, together with a reduction of prick test results as already observed during conventional subcutaneous hyposensitizing treatment (for instance, in respiratory allergy); instead, contrary to what is observed during conventional immunotherapy, specific IgG4 (blocking antibodies) did not show any modification.

You may need a more sensitive immediate-reaction test — known as an intradermal test — if a puncture, prick or scratch test is inconclusive. During this test, a nurse uses a thin needle and syringe to inject a small amount of allergen extract just below the surface of the skin on your arm. Then he or she inspects the site after 15 minutes for a local skin reaction.

We cannot explain this fact, but we think it can be caused by the route of the administration of the allergen, which probably requires more time to produce modifications of the immune system.p>

The only drawback of the adopted protocol seems to be the relatively long time—12 months—required for desensitization. However, the method is very simple and, because of its complete safety, may be easily performed by the patient at home with just a periodic control by experienced allergological staff.p>

Patch tests detect delayed allergic reactions. During a patch test, your skin may be exposed to 20 to 30 extracts of substances that can cause contact dermatitis. Caustic substances — such as industrial solvents — are diluted to prevent skin damage.

In the last 15 years, to reduce the frequency and severity of potential side effects of conventional subcutaneous immunotherapy, many alternative desensitization methods have been proposed in allergic patients; these methods are based on the oral, nasal, sublingual, or bronchial introduction of the specific allergen. The effectiveness and the safety of sublingual desensitization have been confirmed in controlled, double-blinded studies.p>

Allergen extracts are applied to bandages that you wear on your arm or back for 48 hours. During this time, you should avoid bathing and activities that cause heavy sweating. The bandages are removed when you return to your doctor's office for an evaluation.

There are no data concerning desensitization treatments performed by percutaneous administrations of the allergen (neither latex nor other allergens). However, a satisfactory transcutaneous absorption may be hypothesized for many allergens, because many drugs have a well known transcutaneous absorption.p>

Before you leave the doctor's office, you'll know the results of a puncture, prick or scratch test or an intradermal test. A patch test may take several days or more to produce results.

On the basis of experimental observations on mice, sensitization to protein allergens and even immediate-type allergy may develop transcutaneously. Moreover, a transcutaneous immunization has also been demonstrated in humans.

If an allergen provokes an allergic reaction to a puncture or intradermal skin test, you'll develop a raised, red, itchy bump (wheal and flare) that may look like a mosquito bite. A nurse will then measure the bump's size.

A desensitization might be performed by means of the percutaneous administration of a specific antigen. In this way, the adopted contact desensitization may act exactly as the conventional subcutaneous desensitization, the only difference consisting of a different route of the allergen administration.p>

After the nurse records the results, he or she will clean your skin with alcohol to remove the marks and allergen droplets. Then you'll meet with your doctor to discuss the results and possible treatment options.

After a long period of absence of any exposure to a specific allergen, positive allergological tests may spontaneously turn negative in the absence of any treatment. However, in our opinion, the occurrence of a complete desensitization to latex cannot be explained by a spontaneous "natural course" of latex allergy in our patients, who had professionally repeated exposure to latex allergens in the months preceding the desensitization, and, of course, during the whole desensitization period.

A positfde skin test means that you may be allergic to a particular substance. Bigger bumps usually indicate a greater degree of sensitfdity. A negatfde skin test means that you probably aren't allergic to that particular allergen.

Moreover, such a spontaneous desensitization did not occur in any of our control subjects, who still exhibited allergy to latex at the end of the one-year follow-up period without contact with latex-containing items.p>

In conclusion, although this study has been completed in only five patients, it provides evidence that a safe therapeutic approach to latex allergy is possible.

The accuracy of skin tests can vary. You may react differently to the same test performed at different times. Or you may react positfdely to a substance during a test but not react to it in everyday life... [read more]

Contact desensitization seems to be safe even in patients with latex-induced occupational asthma, in which the application of latex to skin can induce asthmatic responses. However, further studies in larger groups of patients are necessary to fully confirm these preliminary results and to assess whether this technique can be successfully applied to treatment of allergic responses to other environmental allergens.