Diet taboos for sinusitis

There are actually only three core dietary taboos for patients with sinusitis: try to avoid foods that are known to trigger allergies, eat less highly irritating foods during inflammation, and avoid consuming large amounts of pro-inflammatory foods high in sugar and oil in a short period of time. Most of the rest do not require excessive dietary taboos. Instead, pay attention to nutritional balance to help the body recover.

Don’t believe the “unified sinusitis fasting list” that lists dozens of items online. It’s purely unnecessary. I previously treated a patient whose sinusitis recurred every spring and autumn. He took medicine for half a month and had no relief. Later, after checking his allergens, I found that he was allergic to fresh peaches. He happened to eat two of them a day at that time. After stopping, the inflammation was almost gone in less than a week. As for what many people say, "Seafood, beef and mutton are hairy foods and should not be touched", this controversy has actually existed for many years. The clinical consensus is: unless you really experience worsening nasal congestion, itching, or runny nose after eating, or the allergen test shows that you are allergic to such foods, you can eat normally. High-quality protein can help repair mucous membranes and improve immunity. Don't be hungry and have a sallow complexion, which will make you more likely to get sick.

In addition to individual allergies, the irritation of heavy foods also needs to be mentioned. A while ago, a young man was recovering from acute sinusitis. He went to eat spicy hot pot with his friends and had cold beer. That night, his nose became so stuffy that he could only breathe through his mouth, and yellow pus flowed back into his throat. He couldn't sleep all night. Of course, not everyone is intolerant of spicy food. I have an old patient in Chongqing who has been eating spicy food for decades. When he had mild sinusitis, eating mildly spicy food had no problem at all. On the contrary, drinking iced milk tea would make the blockage worse. This actually depends on personal tolerance. It's just that during an acute attack, the nasal mucosa is already swollen and filling up the nasal cavity. It's best to put away alcohol, spicy food, strong coffee and other things that can dilate blood vessels, otherwise the swelling will get worse and you won't be able to blow out the pus and mucus, and you will still suffer.

What many people tend to overlook is the impact of high sugar and oil, and they always feel that these are not related to inflammation of the nose. Many parents bring their children to see patients with recurrent sinusitis. They say that they have very strict dietary restrictions. But when asked, they buy cakes and fried chicken legs for their children every day to supplement nutrition. Think about it, high sugar and oil will increase the level of C-reactive protein in the body, which is what we often call an indicator of inflammation. Sinus inflammation that was about to disappear, is fed by this pile of high sugar and oil, and the inflammatory factors rise again, and the recovery speed is slowed down by half. Especially when there is a lot of pus and mucus during an attack, do not drink throat candy that is too sweet. Sweetness will make the secretions more viscous and block them deep in the sinuses, which will not come out. On the contrary, it will aggravate the symptoms of headache and stuffiness.

Don’t believe those messy dietary remedies, such as eating garlic to kill sinus bacteria or drinking vinegar to clear the nose. I have seen many people try folk remedies. Allicin and acetic acid directly burn the nasal mucosa to cause congestion and edema. What was originally just a slight nasal congestion suddenly turned into an acute sinusitis attack, which is not worth the gain.

I usually tell my patients that I never make a long list of dietary taboos. The core is to "follow your own reaction." If you feel your nose is blocked or have a lot of runny nose after eating something, just don't touch it next time. Don't worry too much about other things. After all, immunity is the best anti-inflammatory drug, and eating well and sleeping well are more effective than any extreme taboos.