Sinusitis

Q I was advised to have surgery. Can Korean medicine treatment be an alternative?

A. If nasal polyps are not large and there are no structural abnormalities, Korean medicine treatment may help you avoid or postpone surgery. However, if there are orbital or intracranial complications or large polyps, surgery takes priority.

Q How is treatment handled when allergic rhinitis and sinusitis occur together?

A. Allergic rhinitis is the most common condition that accompanies sinusitis. In Korean medicine, the two are grouped together as an immune problem of lung qi deficiency (pye-gi-heo) and defensive qi deficiency (wi-gi-heo) and treated together.

Q I have lost my sense of smell due to sinusitis. Can it recover?

A. Loss of smell caused by chronic sinus inflammation largely recovers once the mucosal swelling resolves. If long-term neglect has damaged the olfactory nerve, full recovery may be difficult.

Q How do I do nasal irrigation, and how many times a day is appropriate?

A. Pour lukewarm saline into one nostril and let it flow out the other side, about 1-2 times a day. The irrigation device must be dried and disinfected each time.

Q Is creating the right indoor environment important for managing sinusitis?

A. To prevent the mucosa from drying out, keep indoor humidity at 50-55% and reduce allergens such as house dust mites and mold.

Q Is it safe to take Changija-san or Hyeonggae-yeongyo-tang long-term?

A. At Dongjedang, we prescribe individualized doses after assessing your constitution, so short- to mid-term use (1-4 months) is generally safe. Because Xanthium fruit (changija) has reports of liver toxicity when overused, adhering to the proper dose is important.

Q What are the warning signs that sinusitis is progressing to a dangerous state?

A. Redness, swelling, or bulging around the eyes; severe headache or altered consciousness; and high fever (39 degrees or above) with neck stiffness are warning signs of orbital or intracranial complications, and you should go to the emergency room immediately.

Q Is it safe to take herbal medicine while on antibiotics?

A. In most cases, antibiotics and herbal medicine can be taken together. However, you must inform your Korean medicine doctor of every medication you are currently taking.

Q Does acute sinusitis fully heal with treatment?

A. Most cases of acute sinusitis recover completely within 2-4 weeks with appropriate treatment. However, delaying treatment can lead to a chronic condition.

Q Can chronic sinusitis be cured without surgery?

A. When nasal polyps are not large and there are no structural abnormalities, chronic sinusitis often improves without surgery through a combination of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and nasal irrigation.

Q Why does sinusitis develop? Is it caused by bacteria?

A. It usually begins when a cold virus blocks the sinus drainage opening, allowing a secondary bacterial infection to take hold. In chronic cases, mucosal inflammation and structural problems are the main causes rather than bacteria.

Q Why is chronic sinusitis so difficult to cure?

A. Chronic sinusitis lasting more than 12 weeks is driven less by bacterial infection than by mucosal thickening, nasal polyps, and structural abnormalities that continuously block drainage, so antibiotics alone rarely achieve a complete cure.

Q Are there foods that worsen sinusitis?

A. Wheat flour, cold foods, dairy, and sugary foods increase phlegm-damp and worsen swelling of the sinus lining. Alcohol and smoking directly damage the mucosa's protective function.

Q What environmental factors trigger or worsen sinusitis?

A. Dry air, house dust mites, pollen, mold, and air pollution are the main environmental triggers. Maintaining indoor humidity at 50-55% and ventilating the space are key.

Q How often do I need to visit for Korean medicine treatment of sinusitis?

A. During the acute stage, 2-3 visits per week; after stabilization, once a week is the guideline. The overall treatment period is generally 4 weeks for acute and 2-4 months for chronic cases.

Q How does Dongjedang treat the acute stage of sinusitis?

A. In the acute stage, we rapidly clear heat-toxin using lung-clearing detoxification and the Hyeonggae-yeongyo-tang family, while combining acupuncture and nasal bloodletting for immediate relief of congestion.

Q In what stages does chronic sinusitis treatment proceed?

A. It proceeds over 2-4 months in this order: a phlegm-resolving (hwa-dam) stage to dissolve accumulated phlegm, a lung-tonifying (bo-pye) stage to rebuild the mucosa, and a preventive care stage.

Q Is herbal medicine really effective for sinusitis? Is there evidence?

A. Clinical studies show that formulas such as Changija-san and Hyeonggae-yeongyo-tang significantly suppress sinus mucosal inflammation and promote mucus drainage.