Humming Is a Natural Cure for Sinusitis
Humming Uses Nitric Oxide of Sinuses to Increase Circulation
Dec 11, 2008
Your nose is blocked and you can feel the pressure building in the sinuses above, below and between your eyes. You have rhinosinusitis. Most likely, it is a virus infection, but there may also be bacteria contributing to inflammation. Swelling of tissue and mucus accumulation block the small air passages, so you are stuffed up and the natural timber of your voice is altered. At this point most people hunker down on the sofa with a comforter tucked around their shoulders, hot tea to warm their throats and Vicks(tm) on their chests to invoke their mother's curing touch. The alternative is the doctor's office and antibiotics. A better choice may be humming.
Blocked Sinuses Means Limited Blood Circulation and Compromised Access to Immune System
The common experience with sinus infections is that they are tough to treat. Everyone knows by now that antibiotics have no effect on viral infections, but antibiotics will still be used to treat sinus infections, because bacteria my be opportunistically contributing to the problem, even if it was started by a virus. So, you take an antibiotic and it is coursing through your blood stream. Unfortunately, the problematic bacteria are safely floating in the mucus coating your sinuses and at a safe distance from the blood and nearby tissue that has been treated with the antibiotics.
Nitric Oxide Dilates Blood Vessels of Sinuses
Nitric oxide is a gas produced by tissue to dilate or keep blood vessels open. Inflammation produces an increase in nitric oxide production, which is responsible for the swelling and redness associated with the dilation of blood vessels. Nose breathers continually bathe their sinuses in nitric oxide produced in the deep regions of the sinuses. The swirling inhaled air mixes the nitric oxide against the surface and induces the underlying blood vessels to dilate. This is natural. All is well. The blood-based immune system is available and vigilant. Absent congestion, inflammation would just increase nitric oxide production and enhance immunological surveillance.
Infections Induce Sinus Mucus and Block Access to Nitric Oxide
Infection of the sinus tissue by viruses or bacteria stimulate inflammation that improves blood circulation, but inflammation also increases mucus production to wash away the infecting agents. Unfortunately, pathogenic viruses and bacteria are adapted to use host defenses to serve their own purposes. Thickened mucus blocks the sinuses, provides insulation between the infective agents and the immune system, and limits access to nitric oxide that should be swirling in the sinuses.
Humming is the Natural Cure for Sinusitis
George Eby (Med Hypotheses. 2006;66(4):851-4.) explained the simplicity of using humming as a sonic cleaner to reunite the sinus tissue with its normal source of nitric oxide. In his studies, he found that an hour of systematic, intense humming each day cured sinusitis in four days. Humming cures sinusitis. Humming is as effective as more intrusive medical treatments. It is, however, possible to hyperventilate by humming with excessive enthusiasm, but otherwise it is also safe with few side effects. So, as long as you are careful not to be distracted by your therapeutic humming while driving, humming may be your first line of defense, if your sinuses are suffering this Winter. If you add safety to the equation, humming is more effective than antibiotics for sinusitis. Humming may have moved from the meditation mat to the medicine chest.
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