SINUSITIS, taken from Why Homeopathy, S Scrutton, UK
Sinusitis can be an uncomfortable condition. I like this d
escription of sinusitis given by Dana Ullman, on his healthy.net website.
“Imagine a type of torture where there is great pain in what seems to be the very center of your skull, when facial tenderness and pain is experienced by simple touch, where eyes ache and feel like they are coming out of their sockets, and where there's pain in the teeth and even a sensation as though the teeth are too long. Many people today feel this type of torture too frequently because these people suffer from chronic sinusitis”.
Ullman continues:
“Sinusitis is most often the revenge of a lingering cold or allergy, which can impede proper nasal drainage. This congestion becomes a breeding ground for infection which then causes the lining in the sinuses to become inflamed and swollen. Other problems that can create congestion leading to sinusitis are polyps, a deviated septum, large or inflamed adenoids, an abscessed or inflamed tooth, or a change in air pressure from flying or swimming".
And, emphasizing the need for effective treatment, Ullman says:
"Sinusitis can create its own revenge too. Unless
it is successfully treated, it can sometimes lead to ear infections, bronchitis, or pneumonia".
Conventional Medical Treatment for Sinusitis
As usual, I have used the NHS Choices website as a guide to the conventional medical treatment of Sinusitis. It takes the view that it is not an important ailment.
"Sinusitis is a common condition in which the lining of the sinuses becomes inflamed. It's usually caused by a viral infection and often improves within two or three weeks.... Most people with sinusitis will feel better within two or
three weeks and can look after themselves at home."
Self-help at home, it says, is by taking painkilling drugs, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. These relieve head pain, facial tenderness, or high temperature, or tenderness but do not address the cause of these symptoms. Alternatively, using nasal decongest
ants is suggested, but with a warning that these should not be used for more than a week, holding warm packs to your face, and regular cleaning of the inside of the nose with a saline solution.
If the symptoms do not improve NHS Choices recommends that the patient sees a doctor, who may prescribe antibiotic drugs if he believes that the condition is
caused by a bacterial infection. However, NHS Choices have already stated that sinusitis is caused mainly by viral infections!
Cotricosteroid sprays or drops can also be used "to see if they help". They are supposed to help reduce the swollen sinuses. However, if they do not help, the doctor may refer the patient onward for surgery "that improves the drainage of the sinuses."
So conventional medicine appears able to offer little other than ameliorative drugs, which so many patients find to be ineffective, providing only temporary relief. And of course, for these meager benefits, the drugs used can all have serious effects on our health.
In contrast, homeopathy has safer and more effective treatments to offer someone who is suffering with Sinusitis, and can avoid the necessity for an operation.
Homeopathic Treatment of Sinusitis
Homeopathy is a medical therapy that will avoid some of the side effects and adverse reactions of conventional medical treatment. Homeopathy is the second most popular medical therapy in the world, and the most popular holistic system of medicine. Homeopathy is based on remedies made from a variety of different substances, all of which are known to cause symptoms of illness if taken in their normal form. However, homeopathy has discovered that substances that cause symptoms of illness can also cure those same symptoms of illness.
This is the principle of “Like cures Like” on which all homeopathy is based.
The task of the homeopath is to find a remedy whose symptom picture matches the symptoms of a person’s illness. These remedy symptom pictures have been developed over the last 220 years.
The selection of a homeopathic remedy is based on the
individual’s symptoms of illness, not on any broad conventionally-defined illness. It is important to stress this. Homeopathy does not treat illness or diseases. Instead, it treats an individual who has been diagnosed with a particular illness or disease. The distinction is important, and if you wish to read more about this, click on the chapter “Illness Diagnosis”.
There are a number of remedies known to treat people suffering from Sinusitis, remedies that can actually quickly overcome the condition, and eventually cure it. These remedy descriptions are taken from Roger Morrison’s book, “Desktop Companion to Physical Pathology”. The first two of these are probably the most important remedies.
Kali Bich.
Ethmoid and all other sinuses are affected. Thick, sticky, yellow or yellow-green mucus which is difficult to evacuate. Stringy mucus. Post-nasal discharge. Fullness at the root of the nose. Complete nasal obstruction; nasal tone of voice. The nose itself appears to bulge with the stubborn mucus.
Mercurius Vivus.
Especially frontal sinusitis. Greenish fluent discharge. No resistance to infection; every cold he is exposed to results in sinusitis. Dirty, coated tongue, general
ly whitish discoloration. Excessive salivation. Offensive breath. Pains are generally worse at night.
Aurum.
Chronic sinusitis and nasal catarrh. Deep sinus pains, especially at the right side of the root of the nose, with a boring sensation. Pains worse at night. Fetid discharge. Nasal ulceration.
Belladonna.
Generally right-sided symptoms. Almost always associated with fever, flushed face, cold hands and feet. Extreme pain upon stooping or bending the head forward. Worse: for nothing and jarring. Sinusitis associated with Meniere’s syndrome.
Causticum.
Chronic nasal obstruction and post-nasal discharge. Constant mucus sensation and a desire to clear the throat. Almost always some degree of hoarseness. Nasal discharge may be absent or thick and even bloody. Nasal obstruction and catarrh better during rainy weather.
Cinnabaris.
Sinusitis with acute pains from the root of the nose extending or shooting outward or above the eyebrow. Much post-nasal discharge but scant discharge through nostrils.
Hepar Sulph.
Sinusitis with obstructive and thick nasal and post-nasal discharge after every exposure to cold or uncovering the head. Offensive discharges, odur like old cheese. Exquisitely painful inflammation of the sinuses.
Hydrastis.
Thick, ropy or stringy yellow discharge. Especially
post-natal discharge. Swelling and obstruction worse on the left side.
Kali Iodatum.
Recurring sinusitis with pain through the face, especially at the root of the nose. Inflammation and burning inside the noise, worse with each inhalation. Hay fever with thin, excoriating coryza which eventually ends up in a sinus infection. Yellow or greenish discharge and post-nasal discharges. Worse: right side, warm room.
Kali Sulph.
Acute and chronic sinusitis with marked nasal obstruction. Generally worse in a warm room but the nasal symptoms improve. Thick and sticky yellow mu
cus. Snorting.
Lac Delphinum.
This recently discovered remedy has a strong effect on the sinuses. Painful sinsitis often associated with vertigo.
Lemnor Minor.
Chronic nasal obstruction, especially during cold, damp weather. Swelling of turbinates; nasal polyps. Thick nasal and post-nasal discharges from mildew exposure. Smell absent. Putrid odor and taste from mouth and throat in the morning.
Lycopodium.
Right-sided sinusitis and nasal discharge. Severe nasal obstruction, espeicially at night and during sleep. Thick nasal discharge, yellow and crusted. Frequent colds.
Medorrhinum.
Chronic rhinitis and sinusitis especially in damp weather. Thick nasal discharge and post-nasal discharge which drain into the throat causing constant desire to hawk and scrape. Worse: cold, damp weather. Better: at the seaside. Children with constant thick, juicy, green nasal discharge.
Psorinum.
Frequent colds from the slightest exposure to open air or cold. Long-lasting nasal catarrh after every cold. Worse: in the winter. Better: wrapping the head warmly. Wearing a fur hat. Severe hay fever with aphthae in mouth and rawness in nose. Thick and offensive nasal or post-nasal discharge.
Silica.
Chronic sinusitis, lasting months after every cold. Post-nasal discharge; purulent discharge. Frontal sinusitis. Chilly and worse from cold weather. Sinusitis associated with vertigo.
Spigella.
Generally left-sided symptoms, especially frontal sinus. Severe stabbing pains in forehead which radiate backward or are felt as if in or behind the eye. W
orse: cold, damp weather. Smoke. Face may appear swollen.
Sticta.
Chronic or acute catarrh extending especially into the frontal sinuses with severe nasal obstruction. Constant urging to blow the nose though nothing is evacuated. Nasal secretions rapidly dry, causing hard crusts in the nose. Dry and full sensation through nose; dry mouth, throat and palate. Hay fever; sneezing paroxysms; influenza - each end in sinusitis.
Sulphur.
Chronic and acute sinusitis with thick yellow discharge; sometimes offensive or blood-tinged discharge. At other times, dry obstruction with crusts inside the nose. Worse: winter. Indoors. Also hay fever attacks settling in the sinuses. Better: open air. Sometimes burning pains or soreness in the bones of the sinuses. Nasal polyps. Nasal ulcers.
Teucrium. Tremendous tendency for recurring nasal polyps, especially affecting the right side. Constant inclination to blow the nose with no discharge. Prickling and tingling in the nose, especially at the root of the nose.
Thuja. Thick, generally clear or greenish post-nasal discharge with obstruction. Worse: left side. Cold, damp weather. Marked left frontal headache, often boring or nail-like. Pain into the teeth on blowing the nose.
This symptom pictures clearly show that Sinusitis is not a
single disease, with a single set of symptoms that cannot be treated with a single remedy. One of the reasons for homeopathic treatment being so much more superior to conventional treatment is that homeopaths have looked deeply into this condition in order to individualize the treatment.
Many of these remedies can be found in simple home-use remedy kits that can be obtained from these Homeopathic Pharmacies. However, for an accurate, individualized remedy selection, patients should consult with a qualified homeopath. This increases the likelihood of matching an individual with a remedy that will work for them. A remedy that does not match the symptoms of an individual’s illness will not work, but equally will do no harm!
Scientific Evidence Supporting Homeopathy
There is a significant and growing amount of scientific evidence confirming that homeopathy is a safe and effective medical therapy. However, this evidence remains only the third most important proof of this.
The most important proof for the safety and effectiveness of homeopathy is clinical experience, that is the many millions of patients who, having suffered serious illness, have been treated successfully with homeopathy. This is going on throughout the world, and has been doing so for over 200 years.
Homeopathy has also developed a voluminous materia medica. This contains the intricate details of the healing properties of several thousand substances used to make homeopathic remedies. The short remedy pictures above are just a tiny part of this knowledge. However, the following scientific studies have been taken mainly from Robert Medhurst’s list of nearly
500 scientific studies on the homeopathic treatment of various conditions, illnesses and diseases.
References Noted in Article
Ammerschlager H, et al.
Treatment of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract - comparison of a homeopathic complex remedy with xylometazoline.
Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2005, 12, 1, 24-31.
In a multi-centre, controlled, cohort study, 739 people suffering from rhinitis or sinusitis were given either xylometazoline (a drug commonly used for nasal congestion, sinusitis and hay fever) or a homeopathic combination. Both forms of therapy provided similarly effective results.
Friese KH, Zabalotnyi DI.
Homeopathy in acute rhinosinusitis : A double-blind, placebo controlled study shows the efficiency and tolerability of a homeopathic combination remedy.
HNO (Organ of the Deutsche Gesellschaft der Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenärzte) 2007, 55, 271-7.
Using a randomized, double-blind study method, 144 people with acute rhinosinusitis were treated with a either a combination of homeopathic remedies (Group A) or placebo (Group B) and assessed at days 0, 7, 14 and 21 of treatment using a 5 point sinusitis symptom score (the worst score being 20). After analysing the results it was found that those in Group A experienced a drop in symptom scores from 12.1+/-1.6 to 5.9+/-2.0 points after 7 days. Those in Group B found a decrease from 11.7+/-1.6 to 11.0+/-2.9 points (p<0.0001). The final results showed that the homeopathic combination resulted in freedom from complaints in 90.3% of the patients and improvement in a further 8.3%, whereas in the placebo group, the complaints remained unchanged or became worse in 88.9% of the patients.
Weiser M, Clasen BPE.
Controlled Double Blind study of a Homoeopathic Sinusitis Medication.
Biological Therapy, 1995, 13, 1, 4- 11.
In a randomised double-blind placebo controlled trial, 155 people suffering from sinusitis were given either a placebo or a homoeopathic combination (Heel Euphorbium compositum). Subjective responses showed
a greater improvement in those using the homoeopathic combination than those given placebo.
Witt CM, Ludtke R.
Homeopathic treatment of patients with chronic sinusitis: A prospective observational study with 8 years follow-up.
BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders 2009 Jul 27;9:7.
In yet more work carried out by Claudia Witt and colleagues from the Charité University Medical Center in Berlin, Germany, this multi-centre observational study was done to evaluate the outcomes provided by homeopathic treatment for 134 people suffering from sinusitis. The average duration for sinusitis suffered by this cohort was 10 years and most of these people had had prior treatment for the condition with conventional medicine. The trial participants were monitored for complaint severity and quality of life every 3 months for 2 years from baseline, and again at 8 years. On analysis of these observations it was apparent that the homeopathic treatment was associated with improvements in quality of life and a reduction in the complaint severity of sinusitis, and the these improvements persisted for at least 8 years.
Nayak C, et al.
Homeopathy in chronic sinusitis: a prospective multi-centric observational study.
Homeopathy. 2012, 101, 2, 84-91.
This study was conducted under the auspices of India’s Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy and sought to assess the benefit or otherwise in chronic sinusitis of 13 predefined homeopathically prepared materials. 550 people with radiologically confirmed chronic sinusitis were given one of thirteen homeopathically prepared materials based on their individual symptoms and monitored at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Assessment was by radiology and the chronic sinusitis assessment score. On analysis a statistically significant association was found between the homeopathic therapy and a reduction in both the radiological evidence of the condition and the chronic sinusitis assessment score. The most frequently prescribed homeopathically prepared materials were Silica, Calc carb, Lycopodium, Phosphorous and Kali iod.
Govekar JP, et al.
Clinical evaluation of homoeopathic medicines in sinusitis.
Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy, 2008, 2, 1, 26-37.
This was an open, multi-centric, prospective, observational study coordinated by an Indian government research team and looked at the effect of individualised homeopathy on sinusitis. 394 people diagnosed with acute or chronic sinusitis were enrolled in the study. Homeopathic medicines in different potencies (Q, 6, 30, 200 & 1M) were administered according to their prescribing indications and the treatment period ranged from 1 month to 6 years depending upon the nature of the disease condition. Then results showed that 138 patients had a complete remission of symptoms after a follow up period of one year. Varying degrees of improvement were seen in the rest of the cohort. Marked improvement was seen in 80 patients, moderate improvement in 91 patients, and mild improvement was seen in a further 66 patients. 4 patients experienced an aggravation of their condition and 15 patients showed no improvement.
Sunil S, et al.
An open clinical observational study on the usefulness
of pre-defined homoeopathic medicines in the management of chronic sinusitis.
Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy, 2009, 3, 1, 34-40.
This study, conducted under the control of the Indian Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, sought to determine what improvements, if any, homeopathy could provide for people suffering from clinically diagnosed chronic sinusitis. To do this, one of 17 predefined homeopathic medicines in centesimal scale of potencies (30C, 200C and 1M), were prescribed on the basis of the presenting signs and symptoms. 51 people completed the treatment and follow-up period of 6 months and were assessed using the Chronic Sinusitis Symptom Score (CSSS). At the end of the 6 month period, it was shown that 88% of the subjects experienced improvement in varying degrees. Marked improvement was seen in 31(61%), moderate improvement in 10 (20%) and mild improvement in 4 (8%) of the subjects.
Ramteke SS, et al.
An Open Clinical Observational Study on the Usefulness of Pre-defined Homoeopathic Medicines in the Management of Chronic Sinusitis.
Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy, 2009, 3, 1, 34-40.
Indian researchers looked at the potential of 17 pre-defined homoeopathic medicines for the management of chronic sinusitis. An open clinical observational study was conducted at the Regional Research Institute (Homoeopathy), at Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) under the control of the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy from October 2005 to March 2009. 51 people diagnosed with chronic sinusitis were treated with 17 predetermined homeopathic medicines in 30C, 200C or 1M potencies, were followed up for 6 months and were assessed using a chronic sinusitis symptom score (CSSS). Outcome assessments showed 88% improvement in varying degrees; marked improvement in 31(61%) patients, moderate improvement in 10 (20%) patients and mild improvement in 4 (8%) patients. Silicea, Kali bichromicum and Calcarea carbonica were the most commonly prescribed medicines.
Sharma SR, et al.
Clinical Evaluation of Homoeopathic Medicines in Sinusitis.
Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy, 2008, 2, 1, 26-37.
Indian workers from the Regional Research Institute (Homoeopathy) in Shimla and Chennai carried out this multi-centre observational study to determine which homeopathic medicines were the most effective in the management of sinusitis. The study was performed from 1985 -2003. A total of 950 people diagnosed with either acute or chronic sinusitis were enrolled in the study. Homeopathic medicines were administered according to their prescribing indications and the treatment persisted for 1 month to 6 years depending upon the nature of the disease. Besides homoeopathic intervention, patients were advised to follow general measures like steam inhalation and to avoid cold exposure. 394 patients were followed up, out of which 138 were cured with no relapse after a follow up period of one year, Varying degrees of improvement were seen- there was marked improvement in 80 patients, moderate improvement in 91 patients, and mild improvement in 66 patients. 4 patients showed an aggravation of their condition, 15 patients did not improve. Belladonna, Kali bichromicum, Nux vomica, Rhus toxicodendron, and Silicea were found to be useful medicines in comparison to other medicines.
Ammerschlager H, et al.
Treatment of inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract - comparison of a homeopathic complex remedy with xylometazoline.
Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2005, 12, 1, 24-31.
In a multi-centre, controlled, cohort study, 739 people suffering from rhinitis or sinusitis were given either xylometazoline (a drug commonly used for nasal congestion, sinusitis and hay fever) or a homeopathic combination. Both forms of therapy provided similarly effective results.
As always, nothing shared or written in this blog is meant as medical advice but merely as educational information. Readers may use this information as they see fit, researching on their own, and discussing their options for health care with their Health Care Provider of choice. Deanna Smith and Hands and Hearts Birth & Botanical are not responsible for how readers interpret the education shared.
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