Preventing and Treating Sinus Infections When Taking Biologics
Biologics are notorious for increasing your
risk of infections, especially those of the upper respiratory tract. In other
words, sinus infections. Cue headaches, a feeling like your head is filled with
cement, post-nasal drip, nausea, debilitating fatigue, thick brain fog, plus
that awful smell that no one else can smell. There is nothing like it to convince
me that I will feel like it for the rest of my life.
But there are things you can do to prevent
sinus infections or, if one shows up, reduce the impact. This rarely involves
antibiotics. Medical science has discovered that sinus infections mostly
resolve on their own — yes, even when you’re immunosuppressed. In the past two
months, I’ve seen my GP several times, as well as an ENT specialist and neither
handed me a prescription for antibiotics. However, I have picked up a number of
tips on how to prevent and treat sinus infections that I want to share with
you. We’ll get to those shortly.
How
sinus infections happen
But first, let’s talk about mucus! (I can
sense how excited you all are about this)
Nasal mucous is produced in the sinuses and
drain out of the body either through the nose or down the back of your throat.
When you’re brewing an infection (cold, say) or you have allergies, the tissue
in your nose can get irritated, inflamed and swell.
Think of the nose as a hallway and the four
sinuses as rooms with tiny doors. It doesn’t take much for those doors to be
closed — a tiny bit of nasal irritation and swelling from allergies or an
infection brewing and the doors slam shut. All of a sudden, the mucus produced
in the sinuses has nowhere to go. Add a few bacteria and you have all the
ingredients you need for a sinus infection.
The Biologics also increase the risk of
sinus infection for a couple of reasons. One, they lower your resistance to
bacteria, making it easier for infections to happen. Two — and this is purely
in my own experience — they increase the amount of mucus you produce, and may
trigger your histamine response, increasing your allergies.
Preventing
and treating sinus infections
In the early days of being on Biologics, I
discovered three things that have helped me keep sinus infections away, as well
as reduce the impact of when they do arrive. If you’ve read Your Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Tools for Managing Treatment, Side Effects and Pain, you know what
it is. If you haven’t, here it is:
, you know what
it is. If you haven’t, here it is:
Drink plenty of pineapple juice (the good
one, 100% juice, such as Dole). Drink plenty of water. Eat plenty of garlic (add
it to your food). Water dilutes the gunk in your sinuses, making it easier to
drain. Pineapple juice contains an anti-inflammatory enzyme that will help the
swelling in your nasal tissues to abate so the (diluted) gunk can drain. Garlic
is anti-bacterial, helping to prevent infection. I use this regimen on a daily
basis and increase amounts of water, pineapple juice, and garlic when I feel an
sinus infection coming on.
). Drink plenty of water. Eat plenty of garlic (add
it to your food). Water dilutes the gunk in your sinuses, making it easier to
drain. Pineapple juice contains an anti-inflammatory enzyme that will help the
swelling in your nasal tissues to abate so the (diluted) gunk can drain. Garlic
is anti-bacterial, helping to prevent infection. I use this regimen on a daily
basis and increase amounts of water, pineapple juice, and garlic when I feel an
sinus infection coming on.
Until the spring, it’s been working
brilliantly. And then I got a hellish virus/viral infection/sinus infection. The
benefits of that was that I’ve accumulated some additional tips from various
health professionals.
Treat
your allergies. Allergies increase mucus production
and irritation in your nasal passages. Treatment can include avoiding being
outside during dry and windy days when a lot of pollen is floating in the air
or, if you are allergic to spores, after it’s rained. Over-the-counter antihistamines
can be an important part of your anti-allergy arsenal. If you’re interested in
alternative medicine, ask your naturopath whether Allergiplex would be right
for you. According to the package, Allergiplex can be used as a preventative,
as well as treatment.
Nasal
irrigation. You’ve heard of neti pots, haven’t you?
People use them to rinse out their sinuses, which can sound a little flaky. Or
so I thought. An ENT staff gave me a sample of NeilMed’s Sinus Rinse Nasal Wash at a fairly desperate point in the last two months. It feels very strange
and is a bit messy, but boy, does it help! This particular one is also easier
to use for those of us with limited mobility (I put it on the counter, insert
the nozzle in my nostril, and press down — it’s an adapted and messier method,
but when your hands are crap, you do what you can). These kits are a bit
expensive, but you can also use the squeeze bottle kit or the Neti Pot, if your
joints will allow. Nasal irrigation can be used both as a preventive and as
treatment.
at a fairly desperate point in the last two months. It feels very strange
and is a bit messy, but boy, does it help! This particular one is also easier
to use for those of us with limited mobility (I put it on the counter, insert
the nozzle in my nostril, and press down — it’s an adapted and messier method,
but when your hands are crap, you do what you can). These kits are a bit
expensive, but you can also use 
, if your
joints will allow. Nasal irrigation can be used both as a preventive and as
treatment.
Steroid
nasal spray. If you’re having a particularly
stubborn infection, using a prescription steroid nasal spray can help shrink
the inflamed tissue in your nose. Talk to your doctor about this.
Knowing that there are tricks that can help
you keep sinus infections at bay and beat them down when they do arrive can be
such a help for those of us who are magnets for these types of health
challenges. *
How do you cope with sinus infections?
* I
originally wrote “the little f***ers.” Because they are.
+
Comments
1) The pineapple ingredient, Bromelain, may be better as a capsule rather than drinking the juice - 500 - 1000mg daily
2) Daily sinus saline rinse/flush such as Nettipot
3) Frequent hand washing
4) Nasal saline spray as needed to keep the nose moist
5) Certainly lots of hydration is always good
6) Some use Mucinex (guaifenesin)on a regular basis to keep secretions thinner
7) For a badly deviated septum or chronic non-draining sinus consider corrective surgery
As a patient myself on a biologic (Entivio) with past sinus problems (maybe or maybe not related to the medication), to me, these are the ideas that seem most reasonable to consider - best wishes to all of you.