In his book "The Sinus Cure- 7 Simple Steps to Relieve Sinusitis and other Ear, Nose and Throat Conditions", Dr. Murray Grossan, M.D., defines a "sinus cure" as follows: " A cure is defined as partial or complete relief of symptoms". With the inclusion of the word "partial" in this definition, this means I have been cured. Do I still experience stuffiness at night? Yes, indeed. On some nights I wake up and need to elevate my head on one hand or the other to have a clogged nostril drain. However, I have not had a sinus infection for quite some time, and I give the credit to Dr. Grossan. Hopefully this book review can help others who need help from the horrific pain and terrible inconvenience of a sinus infection.

For years I had numerous sinus infections and was often on antibiotics. I had two painful sinus operations and was still coming down with infections. I tried a number of different methods and procedures which were ineffective. It was only when I happened upon Dr. Grossan's book and started using his suggestions, in particular the pulsating nasal irrigation system, did I start getting control of my sinusitis problem. If you wish to learn how to use the irrigation system, please read my article describing it.

"The Sinus Cure" is not a technical book written for medical professionals. It is clear and understandable and is written for the layman. It includes numerous quotations from sinusitis sufferers, and if you are among that group of unfortunates, you will recognize the pain and aggravation these people describe.

What is sinusitis?

The book starts out by explaining the details of sinusitis, what causes it, and how our respiratory system should function. Sinusitis is defined as "inflammation of the facial cavities around your nose- those above the eyes (frontal), behind the nose (sphenoids), on either side of the top of the nose (ethmoid), and beneath the eyes in the cheek area (maxillary) Explanations are given for the reasons we have sinuses, and how the mucous-cilia system works in healthy people to properly drain mucus out of our sinuses.

When the openings that connect our sinuses become clogged (they are only about the size of pencil lead) mucus gets blocked and becomes thick and dry, and the cilia, or tiny hairs that oscillate and move mucus and cause it to drain properly, cannot function. As one of my ENT specialists put it succinctly, "the issue is simply drainage".

Pulsating nasal irrigation

The first part of the book jumps right into a discussion of pulsating nasal irrigation. One uses a Water Pik dental cleaning device with a special adaptor, along with a saline solution in about 16 oz. of water. Half the solution goes into one nostril and drains out the other, and then the procedure is repeated in the other nostril. This has two effects. First, any dry or thick mucus is cleaned away. This dry mucus can easily become infected, since it is just sitting in the nasal cavities. Secondly, the pulsating beads of water work to help the cilia function properly. Having cilia that function properly is the best way to prevent sinus infection.