Healthcare Hacks

Loneliness May Impair Our Ability to Sleep

Fred Lee — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:23:22 +0000

Most adults, especially parents, can understand the importance of sleep, often due to the fact that we get so little of it. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation can have both physical and emotional consequences, including depression, obesity, and diabetes, so it's important to get enough sleep. Despite this fact, many of us function with sleep deficits, and there are numerous reasons why — from the rigors of daily life, to stress, anxiety, and lifestyle choices. Now, feelings of loneliness may be added to that list.

That is because a new study has found that loneliness can not only lead to a heavy heart, but may also impair a person's ability to get a good night's sleep. To better understand this, researchers studied the sleep cycles of a group of close-knit people in a rural part of the country. None of the individuals were socially isolated, but this did not necessarily mean that they were not lonely. In fact, the researchers noted that there were varied levels of loneliness within the group, and higher levels of loneliness were linked to higher levels of disrupted sleep.

The current study, published in the journal Sleep, supports previous research conducted by the American Psychological Society that found that college students who felt lonely experienced more fragmented sleep, despite being in the midst of a large social environment. Both studies indicate that loneliness and social isolation are not the same thing. Whereas social isolation can refer to the actual physical separation from a group of people, loneliness stems from a difference between a person's desired level of socialization and their actual level of socialization, whether it is real of perceived.

These feelings of loneliness can affect how much sleep a person gets, which can in turn affect a person's quality of life. Despite this fact, sleep deprivation seems to be increasingly common in our society, even in young children. With the demands of work, school, and family, many of us seem to be getting less and less sleep. This lack of rest has been linked to several health problems, some of which can have serious consequences. It is therefore important to give sleep the attention it deserves and work towards getting more of it. This includes making the right lifestyle choices.

Unfortunately, loneliness can be a complicated matter, and feelings of isolation can arise even when a person is surrounded by social opportunities. Though there is not a universal solution to loneliness, a person can increase their chances of connecting with a person or group by surrounding themselves with people and seeking out individuals with similar interests or backgrounds.

If you wrestle with feelings of isolation, try talking to someone about it, whether it is a relative, a friend, or a professional. For more information, visit Web of Loneliness.

To learn more about the importance of sleep, speak with your doctor and visit the National Sleep Foundation.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Patient Insider, Mind and body

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Exercise the Brain to Delay Dementia and Alzheimer's

Fred Lee — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:35:26 +0000

By Fred Lee

The brain is not a muscle, but in certain ways, it may be viewed as one. That is because an increasing body of evidence indicates that maintaining mental acuity as we age is analogous to strengthening and toning our muscles through exercise. This process of continually stimulating our brains might even lower our risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

Support for this idea comes from a new study that has found that reading a book or solving a puzzle, activities that force us to use our brains, might help to reduce the levels of certain protein deposits that are linked to age-related dementia. The deposits in question, beta amyloid proteins, are hallmark signs of Alzheimer's disease and have become a new area of focus in Alzheimer's research.

Amyloid protein fibers can fold up into tangled plaques that accumulate in the brain. Part of this process is inevitable due to aging and heredity. In fact, as many as one third of the population is affected by age 60. It is believed that the deposits start forming long before the symptoms appear, suggesting that the earlier that preventative measures are undertaken the better.

In the study in question, researchers examined 65 healthy individuals with an average age of 76 years. They determined how frequently they engaged in mentally stimulating activities like reading, writing letters, and going to the library. The scientists were interested in not only in their current level of stimulation, but how much they were engaged when they were younger.

What they found was that a high level of cognitive activity over a lifetime was associated with a lower levels of beta-amyloid deposits, even when factors such as physical activity, level of education, and gender were taken into account. Interestingly, the researchers found that the most significant benefits were seen when a person was mentally engaged over their lifetime rather than just in old age, suggesting that the sooner these preventative activities are undertaken, the better.

Scientists had previously suggested that stimulating your brain has tangible benefits as we age, but the current data goes a step further and identifies a possible biological influence on disease progression. The findings, published in the Archives of Neurology, might lead to therapeutic interventions to treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease.

It is currently estimated that 5.4 million people in this country suffer from Alzheimer's disease, but that figure is expected to increase as a growing percentage of the population gets older. Though there is currently no cure, the government has turned its attention to the disease by drafting the first-ever National Alzheimer's Plan with the hopes of developing an effective treatment by 2025.

If you have questions or concerns about dementia, speak with your physician and visit the website for the National Library of Medicine.

Permalink | Comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Patient Insider, Mind and body, Prevention

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Belly Fat And Ovarian Cancer

Fred Lee — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:33:44 +0000

By Fred Lee

The obesity epidemic is affecting people of all ages and has become one of the primary public health concerns in this country, and rightfully so. Being overweight has been linked to a number of chronic health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Now, a new study has found that excessive abdominal fat around the belly may also promote the development of ovarian cancer.

The reason for this is because fat cells that grow in the stomach and intestines are a rich source of energy-dense lipids, which provide nutrients for ovarian cancer cells to grow. Ovarian cancer tends to spread to the area of the abdominal cavity as opposed to organs that are located further away. In fact, by the time that the cancer has been diagnosed, it is not uncommon for the cancer cells to have already migrated to the pad of fat in the stomach (known as the omentum), even exceeding the growth of the original cancer cells.

To better understand the role that these fat cells play in cancer development, researchers performed a number of experiments to help clarify how certain mechanisms may allow these cells may exert their influence. The first step was to identify biological signalling pathways. Using animal models, scientists found that the fat cells of the omentum emit signalling proteins that seem to lure the cancer cells to them. When ovarian cancer cells introduced into otherwise healthy systems, they migrated to the omentum quickly, sometimes in as little as 20 minutes.

Once there, the cancer cells quickly adapt to make use of the nutrients provided by the fat cells, thriving in the fat-rich environment. In some instances, the tumor can develop to the point to where it completely takes over the omentum, becoming a solid tumor mass. Some researchers even see the cells of the omentum as the biological equivalent of high octane gasoline which allow the cancer cells to proliferate at a higher rate than normal, leading to its spread and the formation of tumors.

Researchers have focused their attention on a specific signalling protein known as FABP4. When they compared the original tumor cells with those that had established themselves in the omentum, they found that the cancer cells in the omentum produced high levels of FABP4, whereas cells removed from the fat did not. With this in mind, scientists inhibited the functioning of FABP4 and found that the cancer cell growth had been drastically reduced.

Researchers hope that their findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, will lead to better ways to help combat the spread of not just ovarian cancer, but all cancers that occur where fat tissue is prevalent, including the breast and colon cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women, and is the leading cause of reproductive cancer death. It's cause is unknown. If you have questions or concerns about cancer or obesity, speak with your physician. For more information about ovarian cancer, visit the website for the National Cancer Institute.

Permalink | 5 comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Cancer

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Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment: Back for More

Kyla Puklus — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:18:08 +0000

By Kyla Puklus

One Year Later: Returning to NuTech for Booster Cells

This past June, 2011, I returned to NuTech in Delhi, India for more embryonic stem cell therapy. This time, I planned to stay one month instead of two, receiving stem cells as 'boosters' to my already one-year-old babies from last Summer.

I went back for many different reasons. I went back because I have invested a lot of emotional and financial resources into this treatment and it would be foolish not to see it through to its full-potential. I have always known that one treatment would probably not be enough. I went back because no other treatment has provided marked improvement with such mild side-effects. I went back because I didn't want to regret working so hard to get stem cells, only to let them die from Lyme disease before reaching their full potential.

I am still recovering, but I have not regressed.

Improvement is slow; much of my improvement is noticed by others around me more than by myself. While most doctors do not think the stem cells kill the Lyme bacteria, they believe that the stem cells may repair the immune system, nervous system, damaged muscle tissue and brain damage the disease has caused.

A friend of mine fractured her leg last year and also damaged a ligament in her knee. Her doctor told her that the ligament, with physical therapy twice-weekly, could take up to a year to heal. (A whole year for one injured ligament!) I thought to myself, "How can I expect stem cells to repair my damaged body after five years of infection in six months when my friend, without stem cells, will need a year for just her knee?"

It is only after I look back and review my medical records, journals, complaints and the way my life was can I see any improvements.

My mind is sharp. Before, I lived in a fog.
I am not tired all of the time. I used to barely make it until 3 p.m. before having to sit on the couch in a semi-dazed stupor.
I haven't been really sick this year. Over the last few years, if I encountered someone with a cold, I got a raging infection; I caught Swine Flu; Strep-throat; Sinus infections; cold-sores surfaced every four months.
Jaw pain. It is still there, but just barely.
Sleep. I can sleep a full eight hours.
Air-hunger. Gone.
Heart-pounding. Only when I'm nervous!

People say I seem happier. I am glowing. I am nicer; I am doing more than just "getting by." I have found the love of my life, and one of the worst times of my life has also been one of the best times of my life. But this is not the cause of my happiness: this is the result.

Going to India gave me hope. But going to India was not the only thing that changed me. Somewhere along the line, I realized that my life could no longer be how I thought it should be; my life can only be how it is right now. I think the hardest part of being 'sick' is letting go of the life you think you are supposed to lead and the life you can lead. Life does not happen to everyone else; it happens to you. You have to be willing to change, to adapt. You have to make your own rules. This applies to everyone, but I think being 'sick' forces you to come to terms with it a little faster than others. I highly recommend the book How to be Sick by Toni Bernhard.

I am still in pain. My back still aches every day. My right knee still hurts.This is why I returned to India. I am still healing.

Stem cells work as a synergy with other treatments: physical therapy, diet, stress-management, antibiotics, etc. Just like a house does not get cleaner overtime, our health needs constant attention. Our minds may grow younger, but our bodies do not.

Permalink | 6 comments | Kyla Puklus's blog | Channel: The India Story

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Aspirin Reduces Risk for Hereditary Cancer

Fred Lee — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:12:34 +0000

By Fred Lee

The benefits of aspirin in combating heart disease has been well documented. The active ingredient in aspirin, salicylic acid, works to thin the blood by affecting its ability to clot. Now, however, a new study suggests that regular intake of aspirin may in fact reduce a person's risk of developing hereditary cancer, in some instances by as much as one half.

Hereditary cancer is cancer where a gene mutation is passed down from one generation to another. All cancers are caused by a mutation in a gene, but in most instances these gene mutations occur over time. Some people have these gene mutations when they are born, inheriting them from their parents. This puts them at a higher risk for cancer than most people.

The most common areas of the body affected by hereditary cancer are the bowel and womb. In the study in question, published in the journal The Lancet, researchers from 16 countries followed nearly 1000 patients over the course of 10 years. Scientists focused on a condition known as Lynch syndrome, an inherited disorder that can lead to colorectal cancer cases. Around 50% of the people with Lynch syndrome develop cancer in the bowels or womb.

The researchers observed that about 15% of the patients with Lynch syndrome who had been regularly taking aspirin developed cancer, compared to 30% of the patients who did not take aspirin, a 50% reduction in cancer incidence. Interestingly, the people who took aspirin still developed the same number of polyps, which are believed to be precursors to cancer, as people who did not take aspirin. This might suggest that aspirin delays the development of these cells sufficiently to allow for their destruction before they become fully cancerous. Furthermore, the effects of aspirin were not visible in the first five years of the study, but only after more than five years did the benefits become apparent.

More research needs to be done, but the initial implications of the findings are significant and open the door for further trials that can focus on dosage numbers and the benefits for the general population.

Lynch syndrome is also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). It mainly affects the digestive tract, especially the large intestine and rectum. In the United States, there are about 160,000 new cases of colorectal cancer cases diagnosed every year, and approximately 2% to 7% of these are attributed to Lynch syndrome.

If you have questions or concerns, speak with your physician. For more information about Lynch syndrome, visit the Genetics Home Reference, a service of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). To learn more about colorectal cancer, visit the website for the National Cancer Institute.

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Being Bilingual May Protect Your Brain

Fred Lee — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 22:34:55 +0000

By Fred Lee

With the rise of the global economy and the increased diversity of cultures in this country, it goes without saying that speaking another language is an asset, and the more the better. However, research is showing that in addition to the social and economic advantages that being bilingual can give a person, there may be a valid health benefit, as well.

That is because speaking more than one language seems to work out your brain in a way that may help to protect against the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life. If a person did not learn another language when they were young, they can still achieve some level of protection if they start when they are older, and the more adept they become at another language, the better it is for their brain.

Previous research in bilingualism has focused on the effect on babies and children, who have an easier time learning more than one language. These children are often better at multitasking and display greater flexibility in learning and performing certain cognitive functions. However, the issue of whether speaking another language might protect a person against cognitive decline has always been a question.

This concept was examined in a study looking at people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. All of the patients displayed the same level of disease progression at the time their were diagnosed. The subjects were then divided into two groups: those that were monolingual, or spoke only one language, and those that were bilingual for most of their lives.

In the patients who were bilingual, the symptoms of their condition appeared on average four to five years later than the patients who were monolingual. The researchers were quick to point out that being bilingual did not prevent the onset of the disease, but may instead have a protective effect against the symptoms. This may be due to the level of mental acuity that is required to speak another language, which may in fact provide a buffer that slows the progression of the disease and helps patients to cope with their condition.

How another language may confer protection is still being studied, but researchers believe it may stem from the constant mental activity that is required to speak more than one language. In other words, when a person is bilingual, both languages are essentially active in the brain. This requires a level of mental awareness that is needed to distinguish between the different languages and to know which one to utilize at any given time.

Scientists point out that the benefits of an active mind do not necessarily apply only to language. In other words, just using your brain more often may in fact have some beneficial effect when it comes to aging and your brain. It is for this reason that aging experts encourage people to continue to engage their minds as they get older. These activities can help keep the brain more resilient in the event of aging or disease.

Permalink | 2 comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Conditions & Diseases, Mind and body, Prevention

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Our Jobs May Be Hazardous To Our Health

Fred Lee — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:30:19 +0000

By Fred Lee

When it comes to health hazards, we generally think of things that are best avoided in order to protect our health and safety and promote a better quality of life. These include dangerous activities, violence, and unhealthy lifestyle choices like doing drugs or smoking cigarettes.

The question is, what do we do when the source of the hazard is not only something we do every day, but is also a necessary part of our daily lives? In other words, what happens when our jobs are hazardous to our health? As unbelievable as it may sound, researchers are realizing that something as seemingly harmless as our jobs are taking a significant toll on our lives, especially when it comes to stress.

In fact, a new study sheds light on the fact that an increasing number of workers are seeking out professional help to deal with the physical, mental, and emotional consequences of workplace stress. In some instances visits to health care professionals has increased up to 26%, particularly in high stress professions. The end result is that more people in medium to high stress jobs need to seek help in order to cope with what is an essential part of their daily lives.

In the study in question, published in the journal BMC Public Health, researchers examined data from a national survey that focused on adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years, which encompasses the majority of the labor force. Information was gathered on the number of times each worker visited a health care professional, the frequency of chronic illnesses, income level, and lifestyle choices, which included smoking and drinking alcohol.

What they found was that more and more workers are visiting their doctor in order to address problems stemming from work, or more specifically, workplace stress. While most people are familiar with stress on the job, there is a growing body of medical evidence that indicates that stress not only lowers a person's quality of life, but it can lead to actual physical and mental health problems.

In fact, doctors now believe that stress adversely affects a person's immune system and consequently makes them more susceptible to disease. Stress has been linked to such health problems as joint and back pain, heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, and diabetes. High stress at work may also predispose individuals to engage in unhealthy choices which include drinking, smoking, and taking drugs. Finally, job stress may discourage workers from embracing a healthier lifestyle that involves getting enough sleep and exercise and eating a wholesome diet.

In the past, the health care field has studied how aging demographics and prescription drug use affect the cost of health care, but not as much effort has been made to understand the impact of workplace stress. This is gradually beginning to change as an increasing number of workers in this country cite their jobs as significant sources of stress in their lives. Experts estimate that the reduction in productivity due to stress costs companies upwards of $68 billion each year.

For this reason, it is important for workers and their employers to make the effort to reduce stress in the workplace. Improvements in working conditions could increase efficiency in the workplace, lower health care costs, and result in a greater quality of life for everyone involved.

Permalink | 2 comments | Fred Lee's blog | Channel: Mind and body

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Amy Scher: The Stem Cell Relapse Rumor Put To Rest

amybscher — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:19:28 +0000

By amybscher

I am a non-blogger these days, often contemplating writing and then settling on the fact that I no longer have anything 'interesting' to write about. I am normal and boring it seems. And I love it.

In recent days however, the India pot has been stirred up a little. I have had several people contact me, concerned that I have relapsed. Apparently, that was the word around what I call 'Lyme-town,' the virtual world where Internet forums and email groups and patient blogs rule. And often, as I've learned in this little loved cyber town, reporting can be inaccurate.

So, I am here to set the record straight, and not for the first time. I have been talk of this town before, sometimes in good ways and sometimes not. This is the price of stem cell fame.

Here goes it.

I did not relapse.

I am healthy and happy and continue to be asymptomatic.

My recovery, due primarily to stem cell therapy in India (with a little side credit going toward pre-stem cell antibiotic therapy, as stem cells only have the ability to repair the body but cannot kill bacteria), is still mine to keep. I believe India is an extremely viable option for Lyme patients to consider pursuing, if traditional treatment has failed. I believe it saved my life. Nothing I had tried prior had come even close to restoring my health back to whole again.

I have disclaimers that always come with any talk of my improvement with stem cells. I give them genuinely, and not out of fear that something I say will send people in the wrong direction. They are just what I've come to know about this treatment.

1. I do not recommend this treatment for two categories of people: Anyone with ALS (this excludes those with ALS/Lyme disease whose physicians, or themselves, believe their symptoms may be primarily related to Lyme); and those with psychiatric disorders.

For most with ALS, I simply think the disease is too fast progressing. I don't think the stem cells can keep up, fighting the downhill battle of this disease. I think it's too treacherous a trip and too costly financially and health-wise for those suffering with this delicate disease. In addition, I do believe it slows down the process just enough to make the natural disease process more difficult, but not enough to save the life of the suffering person. I have known many who have lost their battle with ALS after several trips to India. In fact, almost everyone I know who has gone. The one patient I know personally who is still living, is just doing that...living, but by no means engaging in life as most of us know it. Again, this statement this excludes those with ALS/Lyme disease whose physicians, or themselves, believe their symptoms may be primarily related to Lyme.

For psychiatric patients, I think it is downright dangerous. Culturally and medically, India (and its incredible doctors), do not have the same skills we have in other countries to safely handle these types of patients. The level of understanding from a human and medical perspective is not progressive enough yet, for me to feel this would be a good option. It is not for lack of being well meaning and compassionate. It is just a mix of Eastern culture, and limited experience. The very skilled care needed in the case of a psychiatric emergency is not readily available and as advanced as most psychiatric patients are accustomed to. And above all that, this experimental treatment is far too experimental to even gauge what the effects on the brain chemistry could be in someone with a psychiatric condition.

With both of these conditions, my biggest concern is that once given stem cells, the effect (whatever that might be on an individual basis), cannot be undone.

2. This worked for me. But yes, I have known others who did not have the same results. There is a huge component of individuality when it comes to medical treatment of any type. Because it worked for me, does not mean it's a cure-all for everyone suffering with Chronic Lyme disease. On the flip side, because others may have not gotten miraculous results, means nothing against the treatment either. I learned this through my years of my own illness. For instance, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which I attended for nearly 100 treatments (far longer than the recommended treatment length), gave me very little improvement. In fact, after the treatment, I had slightly better cognitive functioning, but my pain was worse than I had ever experienced. However, I met former Chronic Lyme patients at the hyperbaric clinic who came back year after year for maintenance doses as they believed that treatment was keeping them in remission, after having tried many other failed modalities.

The generalization of one person deciding whether stem cell treatment, or any treatment, is a reasonable solution to Chronic Lyme disease, is very dangerous. I will not do it here, or anywhere. Each person has the right to follow their own path, to find their own health, to be the anomaly.

In my own world, I have one condition that did not resolve with stem cell therapy. In fact, I believe it was exacerbated by it (probably due to hormonal fluctuations in the body post stem cells). I have endometriosis, which causes extremely painful and debilitating menstrual cycles. However, through my exploration of energetic medicine in the last six months (including Emotional Freedom Technique, meridian therapy, Eden Energy Medicine and others), I have made huge strides. I still have a little ways to go, but not much at all now. This, after 5 failed surgeries, years of hormone therapy and a host of other drastic attempts to gain control of it. I have, by working on myself, gotten completely off narcotic painkillers during my worst 1-2 days a month that I had to use them, and am unbelievably impressed with this work. I have gone back to school to become a practitioner myself, and have seen incredible results with those I've shared the techniques with, for both physical and psychological symptoms.

But as for Lyme, I bid it farewell a long time ago, and frankly, I never expect to see it again. It has taken much for me to stop peeking around corners every time something doesn't feel 100% right in a very normal way (being tired after a long day, something I ate disagreeing with me, etc.). But I have done it. I am far more likely to think of 20 things it might be when I have a little headache, before Lyme ever crosses my mind.

When recovery happens quickly from a chronic condition, normalizing your life to meet it becomes a whole new ball game. One that takes time. Admittedly, sometimes I'm in it, even this many years later. But I can say without doubt, there is no game I'd rather be playing.

Permalink | 8 comments | amybscher's blog | Channel: The India Story

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Vitamin D Tempers Depression In Older Women

Fred Lee — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:08:18 +0000

By Fred Lee

It's fair to say that most people experience an emotional lift when the days are bright and sunny, but that effect may result from more than just an emotional boost and may, in fact, have a physiological basis.

The reason for this is because exposure to the sun helps our bodies produce vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, a necessary nutrient that is not prevalent in many of the foods we eat. Consequently, vitamin D deficiencies are not uncommon, especially in people who avoid sun exposure. Doctors believe that these deficiencies can lead to numerous physical health problems. Now it seems that there may be emotional and psychological consequences as well.

New research focusing on older women suggests that a lack of vitamin D increases a woman's chances of experiencing depression symptoms when compared to women who consumed adequate levels of vitamin D, mainly through supplementation.

In the study in question, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers followed nearly 82,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 years. Participants were divided into two groups: those that consumed 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day (high consumption), and those that consumed less than 100 IU per day (low consumption).

Baseline vitamin D intake levels were measured while also controlling for the amount of sunlight exposure they received. After three years, depressive symptoms were measured again and then compared to the baseline levels. After controlling for various factors, including age and physical activity, scientists were able to arrive at their conclusions.

What they found was that the women in the high consumption group were 20% less likely to experience depressive symptoms compared to the low consumption group. When women had no depression at the beginning of the study, consumption of 400 IU or more of vitamin D through the foods they ate was also linked to a 20% lower risk of depressive symptoms over time (3 years) when compared to the low consumption group.

The results are intriguing because they suggest an easy and accessible way to address depression without the use of medication or therapeutic intervention. While the authors stress that more work needs to be done, including clinical trials to confirm the relationship, the findings nonetheless point to a promising direction in the treatment and prevention of depression that may include a healthy diet.

Depression is a serious condition that should not be ignored. Depression can greatly reduce a person's quality of life and can have serious consequences on their physical and emotional health. In severe instances, it can even prevent a person from functioning normally in their daily activities. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, seek out professional help as soon as possible.

To learn more about depression, visit the website for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). For more information about vitamin D, check out the website for the Office of Dietary Supplements, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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A Spicy Way To Treat Sinus Inflammation

Fred Lee — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 23:54:35 +0000

By Fred Lee

The arrival of Fall signals the beginning of cold and flu season, which means the return of sniffles and coughs. Though catching colds is a common occurrence around this time of year, sinus inflammation, also known as rhinitis, can be uncomfortable, not to mention inconvenient. As a consequence, Americans spend millions of dollars trying to find ways to help alleviate or lessen the symptoms.

These remedies can be effective, but they often come with undesirable side effects that include drowsiness, trouble sleeping, hyperactivity, and even addiction. While allergens such as pollen and dust are a significant source of rhinitis, many cases of sinus inflammation can come from non-allergic sources, which include the weather, noxious chemicals, and perfumes. Because of this, scientists are always searching for safer ways to help address the problem, often looking to nature as a source for remedies.

With this in mind, researchers have found that chili peppers, the same ones used to spice up our food, can be used to lessen the severity of sinus inflammation that results from nasal irritants, which include allergens as well as non-allergic sources.

Researchers developed a nasal spray that contained Capsicum annum, which is derived from chili peppers and gives them their distinctive hot sensation. The active ingredient in Capsicum annum, capsaicin, is also used in topical ointments used to treat pain, and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In the study in question, published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, researchers looked at subjects who were suffering from non-allergic rhinitis for a period of two weeks. Symptoms of non-allergic rhinitis include nasal congestion, sinus pressure, and any pain stemming from this pressure.

The subjects were divided into two groups: one group was given a nasal spray that contained Capsicum annum, and the other group was given a placebo (control group). The scientists found that those individuals who were administered Capsicum nasal spray experienced faster relief from their nasal afflictions than the control group. On average, relief came within a minute of using the spray. Doctors determined that the spray was safe to use.

The results are important because they are the first controlled trial to determine that capsaicin can be used safely and effectively on a regular basis to help lessen the symptoms of rhinitis. Previous attempts to use capsaicin were hampered by the fact that the pepper derivative was too painful to use without anesthesia. Currently, there are not many effective therapies for non-allergic rhinitis.

It is important to note that any treatment for sinus inflammation should never be undertaken without your doctor's supervision. For more information about non-allergic rhinitis, visit the website for the Mayo Clinic.

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