What are cilia and what is their function? Cilia are tiny hairs that line certain membranes in the body including sinus cavities. They move in a wavelike motion and carry anything on their surface out of the respiratory tract. Dr Grossan has determined that cilia move back and forth at about 16 to 18 times per second. This just happens to be the frequency at which a Water Pik device sends out its pulsating beads of water. It should also be noted that the pressure of the streamlets is quite low, and this is beneficial.
Allergies Allergies and their causes are also discussed in the book’s first section. These often go hand in hand with sinusitis. When I first started seeing an ENT specialist I was tested for allergies and subsequently took weekly shots for several years as part of my treatment. I did test positive for allergies to dust and dust mites, although these allergies were low-level. I do believe these shots helped somewhat. One needs a multi-pronged attack against sinusitis, and each person’s problem is unique, so one type of cure does not work for everyone.
The 7 Steps Part two of the book discusses the 7 steps people should consider to cure their sinusitis. These are: 1.Make the Diagnosis: Tests You May Need 2.Use Nasal Irrigation to Keep Your Nasal Passages Clean 3.Consider Complementary Treatments 4.Clean Up the Air around You 5.Boost the Levels of Healing Nutrients in Your Body 6.Destress to Stay Well 7.Choose the Most Effective Medical Therapies
In my opinion the most important aspect of the treatment program is the pulsating irrigation system. I continue to do this twice a day, even when on travel, as I purchased a small travel model of my Water Pik device. Other important aspects of the program include cleaning the air in one’ environment and maintaining proper room temperature and humidity levels ( 40- 50% relative humidity).
Medications and herbal remedies There is significant discussion about medications and possible herbal remedies that some people find helpful. The only criticism I can offer is that these days one reads results of recent studies that point out harmful effects of taking overdoses of certain nutrients, and so I suggest people be careful and discuss any supplements they plan to take with a family physician or ENT specialist. A recent study about taking too much beta-carotene, for example, circulated in the news media not long ago.
Sinus Surgery The last section of the book discusses sinus surgery, including different types of surgery, and why they are needed.
Having endured two very painful sinus operations, my personal recommendation is that sinus surgery should be a last resort, unless one has polyps, for example. I still came down with a sinus infection about six months after each operation, so the results were not good. I strongly suggest that sinus sufferers read Dr. Grossan’s book and follow some of his suggestions, especially the sinus irrigation system, before opting for sinus surgery.
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.
Walter Ballenberger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Sinus Infections, Baby Shower and Arts. Walt Ballenberger is founder of, a resource web site for sinusitis sufferers. Ballenberger is not a medical professional, just a sinus suff. Walter Ballenberger's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.