Nasal Rinsing Market Grows as New Natural Products Target Sinus Infections with Hot Peppers
In recent months, millions of chronic sinus sufferers have discovered the ancient Yoga practice of nasal rinsing. This practice uses warm salt water to cleanse the sinus cavities with a small container that resembles a Genie lamp, known as a "Neti Pot". Oprah Winfrey recently sparked a surge in nasal rinsing after featuring neti pots on her highly rated talk show, and today there are many new products pushing the boundaries of sinus care -- including a hot pepper nasal rinse.
Albany, NY (PRWEB) March 3, 2008
40 million Americans suffer from chronic sinus problems and another 30 million are diagnosed with at least one sinus infection (http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/acute-sinusitis/DS00170) each year. That means 70 million Americans suffer from sinusitis every year. While antibiotics and prescription nasal sprays can be effective for treating the symptoms of acute sinus infections, they tend not to solve the problem that creates the infection in the first place.
Sinus infections are caused by bacteria and related fungus that enter through the nose. Over time, these foreign organisms collect inside the sinus cavities to create their own habitat where they multiply. Once the bacterial colonies grow large enough, they begin to infect the body leading to a variety of chronic sinus symptoms including congestion, headaches and loss of energy.
For many people, sinus infections become chronic because they cannot fully flush out the bacterial colonies causing the infection. So while antibiotics and prescription nasal sprays may relieve symptoms in the short term, the colonies eventually multiply causing another outbreak of infection.
In recent months, millions of sinus sufferers have discovered the ancient Yoga practice of nasal rinsing. This practice uses warm salt water to cleanse the sinus cavities with a small container that resembles a Genie lamp, known as a "Neti Pot".
Neti pots became all the rage in 2007 after Dr. Mehmet Oz featured them on the Oprah Winfrey Show (http://www. oprah. com/health/oz/oz_20070426_350_105.jhtml). Thanks to national publicity, neti pots and nasal rinse systems have become top sellers at drug stores and health food shops around the country. Today the nasal rinse business is booming with brands such as SinuCleanse (http://sinucleanse. com) and Neilmed riding high, but a host of new products are quickly taking hold as consumers demand new sinus irrigation alternatives.
According to Wayne Perry, president of SiCap Industries, nasal irrigation is popular because it works. Perry's company is most famous for making Sinus Buster (http://www. sinusbuster. com) hot pepper nasal sprays, but the company also manufactures Sinus Genie (http://www. sinusgenie. com), a line of herbal nasal rinses featuring the essence of hot peppers and other botanicals.
"Nasal rinsing flushes out bacteria that sticks to the lining inside the nasal passages. Nasal irrigation is the only way to get rid of all the bacterial colonies that keep producing new sinus infections. Although warm salt water cleanses the nasal passages, it's not fully effective for clearing out all the bacteria. But when you add a touch of hot pepper extract the results are astounding because the heat of the pepper disrupts nerve fibers running throughout the sinuses forcing them to release foreign particles on contact," Perry says.
There are many scientific studies showing that Capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers is an effective remedy for sinus infections. Not only does capsaicin kill a variety of microorganisms, but it also disrupts the activity of nerve endings and chemical messengers in the human body.
"The key to beating sinus infections is to get rid of all the particles of bacteria, and capsaicin actually forces the nerve fibers inside the nose to release foreign particles through an involuntary reaction. Basically the pepper extract releases the bacteria and the salt water flushes them out. The result is no more lingering sinus infections," adds Perry.
According to SiCap Industries, Sinus Genie has no burn because the formula uses only a tiny amount of capsaicin, and once it's mixed with salt water the capsaicin is diluted several thousand times.
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