Dear Friends,
The weather is changing and this normally upsets our Biorhythm. Please be careful and avoid drinking polluted water (Boiled / cooled water recommended). The first that gets affected is the Nose/ Sinus this results in blocking of the nose, lack of sufficient Oxygen to the Lungs and in turn the Heart and other parts of the body. If you are not immune to this effect, you may get into Cold, Cough, fever etc.,
The yogic management for this is Jalanethi which process enables clearance of the Sinus, resulting in the normal intake of Oxygen and the effective happy chain reaction and suppresses the effect of the changed weather apart from the toxic reaction of allergens which take an upper hand in times of distress of the body.
Pranayama definitely improves the situation coupled with Jalanethi. I am attaching herewith a few articles on this issue of Sinusitis & Jalanethi. The caution is Jalanethi should be practiced under guidance to avoid any failure of the system. We could do this on one of the Satudays, if you can afford half hour extra. Those who are interested may inform me in the next class and we could fix it up. I shall get the Jalanethi pot and you may have to supplement with hot water and salt. Take time to read the articles.
All the best in the new weather
The allergy of the dust & the pollen is the easiest to be got over in Yoga practices. If it is on account of any food material you must identify the same and stop using that item of food. We can always avoid such allergic food item, but not the pollen & dust as we have to breathe air. Nevertheless, Yoga provides solution to the allergy you are facing.
There is one item called "Jalanethi" mentioned in the attached article. This is a plastic small pot with a gooseneck. Every morning & evening ( before going to bed) or as soon as you are back home, you may perform this which definitely gives you great relief. If you leave it like that , it may aggravate to bronchitis Even here Jalanethi provides relief but takes longer time.
| Overview You’re coughing, your nose is stuffy, and you feel tired and achy. You think that you might be getting a cold. Later, when the medicines you’ve been taking to relieve symptoms of the common cold are not working and you’ve got a terrible headache, you finally drag yourself to the doctor. After listening to your history of symptoms, examining your face and forehead, and perhaps doing a sinus X-ray, the doctor says you have sinusitis. Sinusitis means your sinuses are infected or inflamed. But this gives little indication of the misery and pain this condition can cause. Health experts usually divide sinusitis cases into - Acute cases, which last for 4 weeks or less
- Subacute cases, which last 4 to 12 weeks
- Chronic cases, which last more than 12 weeks and can continue for months or even years
- Recurrent cases, which involve several acute attacks within a year
Health experts estimate 37 million Americans are affected by sinusitis every year. Healthcare providers report nearly 32 million cases of chronic sinusitis to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annually. Americans spend $5.8 billion each year on healthcare costs related to sinusitis. What Are Sinuses? When people say, "I'm having a sinus attack," they usually are referring to symptoms of congestion and achiness in one or more of four pairs of cavities, or sinuses, known as paranasal sinuses. These cavities, located within the skull or bones of the head surrounding the nose, include - Frontal sinuses over the eyes in the brow area
- Maxillary sinuses inside each cheekbone
- Ethmoid sinuses just behind the bridge of the nose and between the eyes
- Sphenoid sinuses behind the ethmoids in the upper region of the nose and behind the eyes
Each sinus has an opening into the nose for the free exchange of air and mucus, and each is joined with the nasal passages by a continuous mucous membrane lining. Therefore, anything that causes a swelling in the nose—an infection, an allergic reaction, or another type of immune reaction—also can affect your sinuses. Air trapped within a blocked sinus, along with pus or other secretions (liquid material) may cause pressure on the sinus wall. The result is the sometimes intense pain of a sinus attack. Similarly, when air is prevented from entering a paranasal sinus by a swollen membrane at the opening, a vacuum can be created that also causes pain. |
Cause
Acute Sinusitis
Most cases of acute sinusitis start with a common cold, which is caused by a virus. Colds can inflame your sinuses and cause symptoms of sinusitis. Both the cold and the sinus inflammation usually go away without treatment within 2 weeks. If the inflammation produced by the cold leads to a bacterial infection, however, then this infection is what health experts call acute sinusitis.
The inflammation caused by the cold results in swelling of the mucous membranes (linings) of your sinuses, and this can lead to air and mucus becoming trapped behind the narrowed openings of the sinuses. When mucus stays inside your sinuses and is unable to drain into your nose, it can become the source of nutrients (material that gives nourishment) for bacteria.
Most healthy people harbor bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, in the nose and throat, and the bacteria cause no problems. But when you have a cold, you tend to sniff or to blow your nose, and these actions cause pressure changes that can send bacteria inside the sinuses. If your sinuses then stop draining properly, bacteria that may have been living harmlessly in your nose or throat can begin to multiply in your sinuses, causing acute sinusitis.
People who suffer from allergies that affect the nose (like pollen allergy, also called hay fever), as well as people who may have chronic nasal symptoms not caused by allergy, are also prone to develop episodes of acute sinusitis. The chronic nasal problems cause the nasal membranes to swell, and the sinus passages become blocked in a manner similar to that described above for the common cold. The normally harmless bacteria in the nose and throat again lead to acute sinusitis.
Rarely, fungal infections can cause acute sinusitis. Although fungi are abundant in the environment, they usually are harmless to healthy people because the human body has a natural resistance to fungus. However, in people whose immune system is not functioning properly, fungus, such as Aspergillus, can cause acute sinusitis. (Aspergillus is commonly found growing on dead leaves, stored grain, compost piles, or in other decaying vegetation.)
In general, people who have reduced immune function (such as those with primary immune deficiency disease or HIV infection) or abnormalities in mucus secretion or mucus movement (such as those with cystic fibrosis) are more likely to suffer from sinusitis.
Chronic Sinusitis
In chronic sinusitis, the membranes of both the paranasal sinuses and the nose are thickened because they are constantly inflamed. Most experts now use the term "chronic rhinosinusitis" to describe this condition, and they also recommend that the condition be divided into rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyps. Nasal polyps are grape-like growths of the sinus membranes that protrude into the sinuses or into the nasal passages. Polyps make it even more difficult for the sinuses to drain and for air to pass through the nose.
The causes of chronic sinusitis are largely unknown. The condition often occurs in people with asthma, the majority of whom have allergies. It is possible that constant exposure to inhaled allergens that are present year-round, such as house dust mites, pets, mold (a kind of fungus), and cockroaches cause chronic inflammation of the nose and the sinuses.
An allergic reaction to certain fungi may be responsible for at least some cases of chronic sinusitis; this condition is called "allergic fungal sinusitis." At least half of all people with chronic rhinosinusitis do not have allergies, however.
Most health experts believe that chronic rhinosinusitis is not an infectious disease (like acute sinusitis). If you suffer frequent episodes of acute sinusitis, however, you may be prone to develop chronic rhinosinusitis. Other causes of chronic rhinosinusitis may be an immune deficiency disorder (for example, primary immune deficiency disease or HIV infection) or an abnormality in the quality of mucus produced by the respiratory system (cystic fibrosis).
Another group of people who may develop chronic sinusitis are those with significant anatomic (structure) variations inside the nose, such as a deviated septum, that lead to blockage of mucus.
Prevention
There are no methods that have been scientifically tested and proven to prevent acute or chronic sinusitis. However, your healthcare provider may recommend a variety of measures that may provide you with some benefit.
- Keep your nose as moist as possible with frequent use of saline (salt) sprays.
- Avoid very dry indoor environments and use a humidifier, if necessary. But be aware that if you have allergies to molds, house dust mites, or cockroaches, a humid environment may also create problems.
- Avoid exposure to irritants, such as cigarette and cigar smoke or strong odors from chemicals.
- Avoid exposure to anything you're allergic to. If you have not been tested for allergies and you are getting frequent sinus infections, ask your healthcare provider to give you an allergy evaluation or to refer you to an allergy specialist.
- Avoid long periods of swimming in pools treated with chlorine, which irritates the lining of the nose and sinuses.
- Avoid water diving, which forces water into the sinuses from the nasal passages.
You may find that air travel poses a problem if you are suffering from acute or chronic sinusitis. As air pressure in a plane is reduced, pressure can build up in your head, blocking your sinuses or the eustachian tubes in your ears. As a result, you might feel discomfort in your sinuses or middle ear during the plane’s ascent or descent. Some health experts recommend using decongestant nose drops or sprays before a flight to avoid this problem.
Sinusitis is a frustrating condition. They tend to be reoccurring, painful and very long lasting. Antibiotics were once considered good treatment, but it is now believed that most cases of sinusitis are related to something fungal, like a yeast infection, which makes antibiotics actually work against the cure. Doctors even become frustrated with the inability to treat a sinus infection. Next time you are suffering from a sinus infection, try this natural method of relief.
Nasal Irrigation called JALANETHI in Yoga is the solution. (separate article on Jalanethi & the procedure)
Final thoughts. This practice of nasal irrigation has been practiced by enthusiasts of Ayurveda and Yoga for thousands of years and is highly effective and pleasant if done properly. The key is to remain calm and continue breathing through your nose. If you aren’t relaxed the solution will not flow properly. Bu when done properly and on a regular basis you will rid your nasal passages of the fragrance, pollen, dust and pollution that prevent your from breathing properly and cause sinus infections.
Process.:-
Take lukewarm water with a pinch of salt in the pot. Stand in front of the wash basin, bend forward -90 degrees- insert the gooseneck of the pot with water into the right nostril – tilt/turn the head slowly to your right, so that, the left eye side goes down lifting the right part of the face. KEEP YOUR MOUTH WIDE OPEN . Breathe only through the mouth. Your hands on the waist or behind. As you lift up the pot with a slight tilt of the head, water in the pot slowly gets into the right nostril and automatically flows out through the left nostril. You will feel funny to start with. But as long as you keep breathing through the mouth, there will not be any problem or whatsoever. Remember to keep your head, face down till the pot empties. Repeat the process through the left nostril. You must have enough warm water to repeat twice on each side, which means you do it four times in all.
After doing it twice on each side, bend down again in front of the basin, tilt your head on to the right & left alternately and breath out fast through the nose pressing the abdomen during exhale, to take the remaining drops of water out of the nostrils. In case you still feel that there is some water remaining in the nose, bend forward to touch the ankle (Uttanasana) and lift the head and repeat the process. Make sure that every drop of water is removed properly. It is suggested that the process is done for the first time in the presence of the yoga teacher. In case still you feel to take out the last drops of water, bend back and repeat the exhale. Bear in mind, DO NOT USE YOUR HAND OR FINGER TO CLOSE THE NOSTRILS. KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE WAIST. In case you are having running in the nose, please use warmer water.
In addition to this gargling with hot water with salt would also relieve the pain in the sore throat if any and adds to the effect of Jalneti.
