I think of cleansing the sinuses much like I do flossing my teeth. It is not a one-time event. We are exposed to various microbes on a regular basis. In an attempt to lower the overall pathogen burden on the body, I resonate with the idea of using various sinus cleansing products much like doing occasional parasite or colon cleanses.
Many of us are familiar with the nasal staph issue that Dr. Shoemaker calls MARCoNS. This is a biotoxin former which adds to the body's biotoxin burden. It creates biofilm and is difficult to treat. A prescription product called BEG spray is often used and may be a good option for some people. My personal experience was that I had a positive culture, did BEG spray, had a negative culture, but some time later, once again showed evidence of staph. Often times, this cycle may continue until MSH has returned to a normal level.
So, along the lines of ongoing, occasional sinus cleansing, I've looked for options over time and found a few that I like. I would welcome hearing about any that you have used and found helpful as well.
In no particular order, here are some of the options I've looked into or used:
1) SinuSoothe - contains a number of oils such as cinnamon, cumin, frankincense, ginger, manuka, and tea tree.
2) Seagate Olive Leaf Nasal Spray - contains olive leaf, grapefruit seed extract, and baptisia. I like this one more for viruses but Olive leaf has anti-bacterial properties as well.
3) North American Herb & Spice Sinu-Orega - contains wild oregano, bay leaf, sage, and clove oils. This one can be pretty intense and packs a nice punch.
4) Xlear Xylitol Sinus Nasal Wash
5) Propolit Nasal Spray - nasal spray made from propolis.
6) SuperGoodStuff Nasal Wash - contains ozonated rizol oils and numerous other ingredients. This one is very potent and works well but can burn a little. Nonetheless, I think it is a great option.
7) One option that I learned about at a Klinghardt conference in late 2012 was the use of manuka honey as a treatment option for pathogens in the sinuses. 100cc of saline (or distilled/pure water; never tap water!) is used with 1 teaspoon of manuka honey. I warm the water slightly (no microwave) so that the honey mixes well in the water and then let it cool and add to a Nasopure bottle. I then irrigate the sinuses with the manuka honey solution.
8) Rather than using only antimicrobials, another useful option may be the use of nasal probiotics or beneficial flora. One such option that Dr. Klinghardt has mentioned is Symbioflor which is a beneficial Enterococcus bacteria. I have used this in a nasal spray bottle. In fact, some suggest the use of probiotic capsules being opened and used in a neti-pot. I think this is worth further exploration and additional details can be found here and here. While I have not used Flora Sinus, this is an oral probiotic that have been useful for some in improving sinus health.
Other options may include various commercially available colloidal silver sprays, blends of essential oils (be careful! These can burn.), and standard salts and powders that often come with neti-pots.
Please let me know your thoughts and other solutions you may have found for improving sinus and respiratory health.
Disclaimer: Nothing mentioned on this page should be used without the direct guidance of your medical doctor or healthcare practitioner.