Foods that make Sinusitis better or worse

Food allergies can be an underlying cause of many diseases, including sinusitis, eczema, arthritis, ear infections, asthma, migraine headaches, inflammatory bowel disease and depression. Food allergies cause an inflammation and irritation to the delicate membrane linings. A recent study found that around 75% of childhood ear infections are associated with food allergies.

What tests are done to diagnose Food Allergies?

1. Skin prick tests
2. Blood antibody testing
3. The elimination/challenge test is the most accurate test done, and the most difficult to do. This test involves eliminating all potentially allergic foods for a period of time, usually two weeks, and then challenging oneself with these foods one at a time.  For this test to be effective all allergic foods must be eliminated and the food challenges must be spaced adequately far apart.  If done properly, a person will feel better after eliminating the allergic foods for 5-7 days, and then feel worse within 1-2 days of eating the suspect food.

Natural supplements to help with food allergies

1. Quercetin oil helps build the immune system and treats inflammation. This oil can be found in grapes, red wine and apples.
2. Omega 3 oil helps with inflammation as it has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. This oil can be found in salmon, sardines, trout, spinach, tuna and flaxseed (linseed) oil.

These natural products have anti-allergic properties in the gut, and therefore help to reduce allergic sensitivity when used in conjunction with an allergy elimination diet.

What food makes Sinusitis worse?

1. Avoid cold drinks
2. Greasy, fried foods (junk foods, fried chip, etc.)
3. Sweets and cakes
4. Fatty diets
5. Avoid dairy and dairy containing products as these stimulate mucus production and cause mucus that is present to become thicker.
6. Coffee and beer
7. Eggs or cheese
8. Try cutting down on your intake of red meat
9. Nuts as these can cause allergies
10. Tobacco smoking
11. Shellfish (should you have an allergy to these)
12. Chocolate
13. Processed and foods high in starch such as peas, grains, corns, potatoes and lentils
14. White sugar and flour as these are refined

What foods make sinusitis better?

1. Fennel seeds
2. Flaxseeds (Linseeds)
3. A regular multivitamin
4. Fenugreek seeds
5. Adding a squeeze or tablespoon of lemon or lime to warm water helps the kidney eliminate toxins and also helps boost the immune system.
6. Oregano oil
7. Egg yolk
8. Guaifenesin
9. Drink lots of fluids to help stimulate the removal of mucus from the nasal passages.
10. Vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots, leafy vegetables, grapefruit seed extract, mango and papaya

Factors that wear down the immune system are:

1. Food allergies
2. Lack of sleep
3. Incorrect diet
4. Stress
5. Food preservatives, highly processed foods and foods high in MSG
6. Environmental toxins like pollution

All the above factors can cause the body’s normal homeostatic balance to become unbalanced and is why one should try his or her best to eliminate these from everyday life.

Additional topics

• Allergies and Post Nasal Drip
• Dealing with Allergies
• Fungal Allergies
• Allergies during the Fall season
• Spring time Allergies