Sinuses and food irritants.

[Deep13]

Okay, I'm having surgery on 1/19 hopefully to cure a constant sinus problem. They are going to straighten the septum, remove some abnormal bone spurs and "excise" the turbines or whatever they are.

Someone suggested to me that eliminating wheat, dairy and orange juice might fix the problem and that it worked for him. He said they are sinus irritants and phlegm-producers.

Does anyone know anything about this?

[Heddi]

1. Hello! Nurse here :)

I don't know about wheat and OJ, but dairy definitely produces mucous, and when we have a patient on a ventillator or who has pneumonia or a stroke and can't "clear secretions" (cough up what's in their lungs properly), we avoid all dairy products as much as possible because you really do see an increase in snot when people have dairy.

I don't know that ELIMINATING dairy is necessary, but certainly cutting down on "soft dairy" like milk, yoghurt, ice cream, would make a difference in the amount of mucous you produce.

However, I'm wondering if you're asking whether that a diet modification can replace surgery or not? I'm not sure that it can. If they're straightening the septum and doing all other kinds of renovations, then part of your problem is structural (deviated septum, etc) as opposed to mucous related. No amount of milk avoidance will aleviate the symptoms of a deviated septum.

Good luck! I have constantly inflamed sinuses and usually get a sinus infection every few years or so. Right now I can hardly breathe they're so puffy (the sinuses, that is). I made the mistake of using Afrin once...oh lawd! After 2 uses I was so terribly addicted to it. I had no idea what I was going to do, but thankfully I was able to wean myself off of that legal crack for noses :)

Let us know how it goes

[Deep13]

4. If I'm actually sick, I don't eat dairy.

Otherwise, it is not a problem. I have it with my Wheaties every morning. The real problem seems to be that my sinuses swell up so bad, nothing can drain, so I get infected. And I can't breathe right.

[varkam]

2. I work in the sleep field, and...

as far as I know, if you have a deviated septum then fixing that will most likely help your breathing above and beyond what any dietary changes could do (though I'm not saying those couldn't help, also). I see a lot of people who have problems with sleep apnea partly as a result of a deviated septum. I guess what I'm trying to say if it's just an excess of phelgm then maybe the dietary stuff would work but if there's other issues (like bone stuff) then it'll probably come down to surgery (full disclosure: I'm not a doc and know nothing, so take what I have to say with the whole shaker of salt)

[Deep13]

3. Yeah there's structural problems.

The abnormal bone spurs, the slight septum deviation and the sinus swelling that completely blocks any air-movement. I do have sleep apnea. The doc was pretty sure I would still have it because it is caused by the pharynx. We'll see I guess.

[Warpy]

5. Turbinates. They set up turbulence inside your nasal passage

so that your nose hairs and mucus can trap all the crap you're breathing in before it gets to your lungs.

Here's a guide to what they are, why they can cause problems, and what you're about to have done on them: http://www.ent-consult.com/turbinatesurgery.html

[Deep13]

6. The doc is going to reduce them, not eliminate them. nt

[Warpy]

7. Yes, the link described several options.