I can’t believe it was ten years ago, in 1999 when the Mayo Clinic published its landmark study that attributed nearly all cases of chronic sinusitis as a reaction to fungus. Here are some statistics to illustrate just what a breakthrough this was:
• 37 million people suffer from chronic sinusitis. That means in 1999, one out of seven people had to suffer through constant coughing, aching teeth and jaws, nasal obstruction, and swelled eyes, nose, and forehead.
• Although fungus was known to be a cause of chronic sinusitis, doctors believed it only accounted for 10% of cases.
• The Mayo study showed fungal growth in the sinus washings of almost all participants. It was found that mold is behind 96% of all chronic sinusitis symptoms. That’s a little more than the 10% previously thought.
Doctors used to say chronic sinusitis was caused by bacteria and prescribed antibiotics to their patients. Now we know why this treatment had little to no result. Just like we’ve said before, antibiotics can make a mold infection worse since bacteria in your body actually fights off mold.
But bacteria are actually still involved in chronic sinusitis. To fight off fungus, your body activates white blood cells called eosinophiles. The eosinophiles release a Major Basic Protein into the mucus to kill the fungus, but this can injure the lining of the sinuses, which allows bacteria to multiply. So bacteria are a symptom, but mold is the cause of chronic sinusitis.
Unfortunately, the Mayo Clinic study was not initially well received by doctors. Part of the reason was because the study did not discuss the success of anti-fungal treatment on chronic sinusitis. Another reason is simply because society’s tendency is to reject new ideas. But in the past ten years, new data has accumulated to support the Mayo Clinic study and is becoming more accepted. Sometimes it takes a while for people to warm up to a new idea.
Since the first study, the Mayo Clinic has published new results which found that treatment with antifungals, like Amphotericin B, showed an improvement in 75% of cases.
Not all doctors know about these studies. But now you do. So here’s a chance to show up your doctor. If your doctor has diagnosed you with a clear case of chronic sinusitis, you should ask if they are familiar with the studies that support fungus as the cause. If they try to prescribe you antibiotics, they might be completely unaware of them.
In any event, the best treatment is prevention. Excessive mold in your home can make you sensitive to fungus, and that will make you sick. Prevent mold from growing and properly remove it does grow. The Future of Mold provides plenty of topics related to mold prevention and remediation.
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