Looking for advice for JS

1 comments:
js said...
Hello to all...I am going to see Dr. Houser on June 5th for an evaluation and a cotton test. Here is my dilema- after getting great advice from Chris and others on how to manage the symptoms of ens, my symptoms have improved. Granted, much of this improvement, I believe, is because of the weather as it is getting into the 40's on a consistent basis in Illinois. I have been subscribing to the GOLDEN RULE of Mucosa health with great benefit. My question to all of you who have implants, or went for a cotton test and chose not to implant is this... should I wait to get implants if Houser offers or should I go ahead with the implants? I must say, fear does play apart of this, as I am afraid to have another person touch me. Sleep and my ears are probably my two worst symptoms. I should probably add in my throat because my ear fullness/ache wraps around my jaw down into the right side of my throat. Also, has anybody wished they did not get the implants because of nasal stuffiness? I guess this would not be a bad thing for me as I feel wide open, not congested or stuffy.One good thing that has come out of my surgeries is that I do not get sinus infections anymore and when I do get a cold it lasts typically 7-10 days, which is very normal. All the pro's and con's on this subject would be greatly appreciated!! Chris... we have discussed this topic before, so I am sorry if this is redudant. Looking forward to as many opinions as possible. Take care.js
March 30, 2008 8:28 AM


JS, looking forward to hearing what others have to recommend to you or share with you. It is interesting how our symptoms seem so similar, yet I have had more battles with sinus infections than you. To the readers of this blog, just click on the time link to post a comment to JS.....(or to read a comment, for that matter)

See 2nd comment and my reply and TE's reply

nicks said...
Hi ChrisThanks for your efforts and keep them up. Rest assured you are doing good for so many people in this world. If you ever have doubts about your efforts never forget the people whom you are helping. They really do apreciate it even if you don't necessarily find out.

My comment:I received my Hydro Pulse although unfortunately I can't use it! The power specifications it runs from (110V 60Hz) are only suitable for USA (and a few other places like Japan). Its no major drama for me as I will be able to use it when we are in KC, but it would be great if like most electronic gizmos these days it could be manufactured to work on 100-240v 50/60Hz so it could be made available to people all over the world (Europe, Australia/NZ, lots of Asia, Africa etc etc). It would also make good business sense too.I was wondering if through your channels to Dr Grossan you could provide this feedback (perhaps even this blog post).
Thanks, Nick
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Nick, you can email Dr. Grossan directly at ENTconsult@aol.com to report your concerns or copy and paste this blog post. I'm not sure what could be done to remedy the situation. You could try using a neti pot in the meantime for irrigation or saline nasal sprays or Neilmed, etc.; or there is the SinuPulse Elite as well, which is another pulsating irrigator, although I'm not sure of its specifications. Hope that helps. Best wishes on your move to America!

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To Nick:The hydropulse irrigator is also availabe for 220-240v countries. You simply need to look for it on the sites that sel it. It says so clearly and I bought 220v one myself. works great!TE.

See the first comment!

Click on the time link under my March 11 blog post, which will bring you to the first person to comment in the life of this blog!

Great post and suggestions - and thanks for sharing your story, JS! Your story rings all too true among ENS sufferers. Most if not all had no idea what turbinates were prior to our nose surgeries. And I'm interested in that sublingual immunotherapy as well...

A mass, but informative email to 361 accounts....

I just sent an email to 361 people I have either corresponded with about ENS or have signed up as members at emptynosesyndrome.org. I am new to sending out such a large email and I learned that my email account webmaster@emptynosesyndrome.org only allows an email to 250 people per day. That said, it took me 2 days to send out this email. Contents of the email included updates for the emptynosesyndrome.org website (send me an email if you want to get involved with improving the site; serious inquiries only), some treatment ideas, such as Craniosacral therapy and exercise, and a Warm Air Mask that ENS sufferers enjoy a 25% discount on (see the post below).

Some interesting statistics of my 3/10-3/11 mass email:

-An email to 361 email accounts.
-34 email accounts out of order.
-2 people who did not want to receive future mailings (that could potentially help them:)

So, that leaves an email that was sent out to 325 members of the ENS site and those I have corresponded with. I have worked on updating the emptynosesyndrome.org website, between adding information on the Warm Air Mask on the home page, updating the news link, and providng a new cover look to the site. It still needs much improving, but I am going to be taking a break for now, maybe for a week or more so I can focus on my family. I have not gotten more than 6.5 hours per sleep on any night over the past week and it's not because of my children. I am tired and my health isn't terrific because I am tired.

Honestly, I wish I could correspond in depth with everyone that emails me, as I care about you all, but my energy level is really dwindling and I have been getting a fairly high number of emails of late - about 8-10 per day in recent days. While I enjoy corresponding with every person who emails me, it takes time. That said, I have removed my juno email account from the http://www.emptynosesyndrome.net/ so people would not contact me about ENS at my juno account. Rather, I have asked that people primarily contact me about ENS at webmaster@emptynosesyndrome.org, because I cannot access this email account at work, which helps me keep work and home life separate. I have also requested that those who do contact me at my webmaster account primarily contact me if they are interested in assisting with the site (serious inquiries).

There is a solution to all this....if you want to correspond about symptoms, post a comment to my blog; or, there is the emptynosesyndrome.org forum to discuss symptoms and treatments with fellow sufferers as well. In the life of this blog, not a single person has posted a comment. I have been told a few have tried, but failed. If people did post on this blog, I can respond at this blog and it can become interactive. All you have to do is click on the time button underneath any blog post and it will lead you to where you can leave a comment. Thanks for reading...and caring :)

God bless,
Chris

Heart Run, Website, and Warm Air Mask

On a personal note, I completed a 3-mile run as part of the Heart Run and Walk in Central New York this past Saturday (http://www.uticaheartrunwalk.org/). Unfortunately, I did it all wrong. I did no training prior to the run and went into it cold turkey - and I mean "cold turkey!" My legs are still somewhat sore from this run! Normally if I train up to being able to run 3 miles, it is really not a problem. I should not be sore from that and do it with grace and ease...yeah right. I was not planning on running in it, to be honest, as I was expecting 2-5 inches of snow the night before and additional snow (and cold) on the day of. My wife woke me up around 7:20 AM and informed me that it was mild outdoors with only rain rather than snow and, to my surprise, it was. So I got up after only 6 hours of sleep and prepared for the run. Despite all this, I enjoyed it and was glad to do it for a good cause. And my nasal breathing felt good for the remainder of the day because of the increased blood flow to my nose that the running brought, while my throat was extra irritated from the cold air. Enough about that....

If you have been following of late, I have taken over as webmaster of http://www.emptynosesyndrome.org/ as of March 1st. I'm not sure how long I will remain webmaster, but it is privilege and while I continue on as the webmaster of that site, I'll do my best at maintaining it and keeping its contents fresh. The site gets far more traffic than this blog, about 200-300 unique visitors per day. However, I really am limited with time in improving it, given my family responsibilities of my wife and three little kiddos and my job; if others are willing to pitch in, it can be improved. Today I sent out an email to 150+ members of the ENS site announcing this transition of webmaster from David Lemberg to myself, and tomorrow I will send out another email to 150+ members. I would send it out all at once, but the server does not allow me to send out an email to more than 250 members on one day, so it takes 2 days to do that.

On the home page of http://www.emptynosesyndrome.org/, I have added a link and product information for a warm air mask from http://www.polarwrap.com/. Polar Wrap has offered ENS sufferers a 25% discount on this mask. I sure hope others take advantage of this offer and enjoy breathing in warm air as I have of late....if only I had worn it for the Heart run (sigh)....

Update on Book - some international success

I am hoping to send out an email to all 300 members of the empty nose syndrome website soon, as well as the many members who have signed up for my newsletter. The focus of the email will highlight developments in empty nose syndrome, as well as treatment therapies I have found beneficial in recent months.

Until then, I thought I'd share an observation that I noticed this evening. Every so often, in addition to amazon.com, I like to see how my book is selling on amazon.uk (United Kingdom), amazon.de (Germany), amazon.fr (France), and amazon.ca (Canada).

The great news is as I write this post, Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! is among the top 100 Otolaryngology books in various countries, including the United States, as it is right now #51 & #69 in Otolaryngology, and it has been among the top 100 Otolaryngology books in the United States for the most part since it was released. However, now it has become an international success as well, and is right now among the top 100 otolaryngology books in the following countries (Amazon sales rank changes on an hourly basis, please note, so it might not be on the top 100 otolaryngology books at a different time; I must savor the moment!):

United Kingdom

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 226,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#77 in
Books > Health, Family & Lifestyle > Medical & Healthcare Practitioners > Internal Medicine > Otorhinolaryngology

Canada

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #50,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories:
#13 in
Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Surgery > Otolaryngology
#18 in
Books > Science > Medicine > Specialties > Otolaryngology
#18 in
Books > Medicine > Specialties > Otolaryngology

Germany

Durchschnittliche Kundenbewertung: Noch keine Kundenrezensionen vorhanden: Schreiben Sie die erste!
Amazon.de Verkaufsrang: #130.245 in English Books (Die Bestseller English Books)
Beliebt in diesen Kategorien:
#18 in
English Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Surgery > Otolaryngology
#23 in
English Books > Medicine > Specialties > Otolaryngology

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all blog readers, doctors, friends, family, stores, and ENS sufferers who have bought, recommended, or helped me in promoting Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! I think that is tremendous that the book is selling well on an international level. I even heard about an Australian buying the book. Today, I sold 5 copies of Having Nasal Surgery? to my local health food store, Peter's Cornucopia. I have sold 14 books (and counting) through the local bookstore, Park Row Books, in Clinton, New York as well, where I've enjoyed successful book signings. It also has a sales rank of 250, 588 at barnesandnoble.com, so it is selling there as well.

The primary country where it has not yet sold is France. We need some French to buy the book, as I know many French suffer from empty nose syndorme. There is a complete french forum at the emptynosesyndrome.org website, for that matter. If you are reading this blog and from France, I hope you will consider buying this book. Many thanks.

Until next time, I hope your sinus health is under control! (PS- promise will focus on tips once again in future blog posts)....

A day in my life, racism, and good news....

I have not written on this blog in over 2 weeks, and perhaps that is because life has been rather hectic lately - between taking care of three little ones, possibly taking over as webmaster of the emptynosesyndrome.org website, and my job - and I have been battling a persistent cold on top of all that. This past week was my week off from school and I found myself writing 10 psychological reports as well as a myriad of paperwork details for my job. Thankfully, it will be a good feeling to hit the ground running when I go back to school tomorrow because I completed so much, but it was time-consuming. I'm happy to report that finally my cold is starting to get better (without antibiotics) and so are my spirits. I am going to refrain from discussing treatment techniques in this post, but I have tried a number of different, new techniques of late, if you just hang on and keep reading this blog, I will discuss them; and they might be helpful for your situation.



Many of the readers of this blog probably don't know what a typical day in my life is like. So I want to share with you this past Thursday, a day I had off because of our school vacation, so you can know me better. After going to sleep around 10:30 or 11:00 on Wednesday evening, I woke up around 6:30 to write some psychological reports for my job. As mentioned, this past week was my week off from work. I worked on 2 psychological reports from 6:30 to 8:30. I drank a number of cups of water during this time to help thin the mucus in the back of my throat. The mucus has been feeling rather thick and irritating back there, particularly after a full night of sleep. I have been finding that I can cough up some of this phlegm after I wake up and become more active. Around 8:30, I knew I had to start getting ready because my wife was bringing my 2-month old son to the doctor's appointment at 9:15 while I was at home watching our two girls - ages 3 and 1. So I took a shower, shaved, put on some fresh clothes, did a nasal irrigation (both nose and throat), and then ate a quick muffin and then retrieved the vitamins I am taking. I am taking a number of vitamins including but not limited to Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Host Defense, Bee Propolis, Pantothenic Acid, Zinc, Echnicacea/Goldenseal, acidopholus (a probiotic), my allergy pill, and so forth. My girls were busy watching the Donut Man and Hide 'em in your heart by Steven Green, while also doing puzzles. We began to read a couple stories, just as long as I could keep my oldest daughter's interest. Yet I knew our house was a total disaster and made it my mission to clean it up before my wife returned. I told my little kiddos that mommy will be so proud if we help clean it up. And boy did we clean. We picked up all the toys, cards (go fish), animals, chalk, crayons, etc. that had been laying on the ground. Then I filled and took out the garbage that was overflowing. Then we cleaned the dirty dishes and cleaned and sorted in our front room as well. (I live in a small ranch home, about 1400 square feet, in a semi-rural area with half an acre.) After cleaning up all these areas, we vacuumed in the living room - where it needed it. Then we sorted all the DVD's and VHS tapes that were lying everywhere around the television - above, below it in the cabinet, and on the ground. Then I changed my littlest one's diaper and put on her clothes for the day. (Do keep in mind not all days I am this ambitious at cleaning, believe me). Then we sat and began to read again as my wife pulled the car into the garage. As my wife came home with our little one, she was so happy to see the house clean. It just made her day. She told me that my son's lungs were clear, although he still is coughing and uncomfortable at times, but he has been battling this cold and was put on a nebulizer by 4 weeks of age! It was heartbreaking, but I know he will get over it in time as he is being nursed, and we are health-conscious parents who will choose good foods for him as he gets older. By this time it was around noon and we had lunch - turkey sandwiches, yogurt, veggies, and water - and then soon after left for grocery shopping at the local Hannaford. This grocery shopping took about an hour, ran into some different people I knew at Hannaford's, and my little girl, Abigail, fell asleep while riding in the little yellow and red kiddie cart. We were not sure what to do after that, but we ultimately decided to go to the mall as my wife wanted to shop for clothes. We hit a number of stores at the mall, including the Disney store, Auntie Anne's, Mr. Smoothie, (sorry, I hope I'm not making you think less of our eating habits), as well as Sears and Northern Reflections. My children are often quite the busy bees in these stores, finding the endless array of clothes almost to be like a hide-and-seek maze, but they were quite well-behaved and we were proud of them for that. Our littlest one seemed a bit tired on the way out the mall, but generally they were very well-behaved. Upon returning home, we had leftover spaghetti and meatballs, as well as salad and water. The girls don't go for the salad, but I do! Our girls were in need of a bath, as well as our little boy who has been spitting up much after this cold, so they all got baths this evening. Of course, our 2-month old son gets a smaller bath for his little body than the girls who use the bathtub in the bathroom. After that, my family has devotion time where we read Christian stories together, sing, and pray, which is what we did this evening. Then we brush their teeth. After they were all asleep, I decided to complete another psychological report. I told myself I would only do 1 so I would not be too tired the next day and since I had to complete 2 more on the following morning. Before going to sleep, I do nasal irrigation, acupressure (time-permitting) and then pray. That is one day in my life. I hope I didn't bore you with all the details, but that is what a typical day (when not in school at my job) in my life is like. Here's a photo of acupressure taken from http://www.csc.gov/


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The following story is off-topic from ENS but it is troubling to me. I encourage you to watch the video and reflect on how you can make a difference on behalf of people of a different race. A friend of mine, Mark Montgomery, is an African-American who I know well and have great respect for. He is a strong person who is well-respected and seems to know everyone. When I was applying for my first job as a school psychologist, he called up the director of special education at one school district and next thing you know I was being offered a job. He literally got one for me. I ultimately declined that job offer, but it just goes to show how great of a guy he is. While in college, he and I were tennis doubles' partners on the college tennis team and have enjoyed many tennis outings and very deep discussions on our jobs and the importance of education. In fact, I conducted a "meaning of difference" interview during which I probed into how being African American affects his life. It was an englightening conversation and I learned much including that Mark is part Irish and that he has incurred racism against him in his own life. I was surprised, thinking, how could anyone yell racial epithets against someone of such high standing. Mark was a counselor at Hamilton College (where B.F. Skinner trained, you psychologists out there) and he is currently a professor at Morrisville College where he has invited me to talk with his class about school psychology - that was a good experience, too...Anyway, to make a long story short, Mark sent me an email on the Monday of a couple weeks ago telling me to "check this out." It was a news clip from news channel 10 that discussed how a noose had been found outside of his door at the school where he works. Can you believe that?? This school is only a few schools away from where I work. I hope to get together with Mark soon and I was truly appaled that anyone would think of this as a prank; it may have been thought of as a prank, but truly it's a hate crime. I sent an email to all the staff at where I work encouraging them to watch the video and think about what it is they can do to make a difference on behalf of people of color. I encourage you to do the same. Here's the link: http://www.wktv.com/news/local/15675197.html


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Finally, I had the privilege of receiving an email from a reader of my book who remarked they were so happy that their doctor recommended my book, Having Nasal Surgery? to them. Dr. Ken Fletcher of Georgia recommended my book to this patient. I have never met Dr. Fletcher or am aware of how he knew about my book, but knowing that he recommended my book to this patient is terrific. I owe him one. A big thank you goes out to Dr. Fletcher!!


Until next time, I hope your sinus problems are under control....

This post is just a test....

This post is just a test to see if the 'post a comment' is now enabled....

Acupuncture for ENS....

First, I apologize it has been a number of days since my last blog post. My family and I have been under the weather with colds during the past week. Thankfully I am finding that my health - and the health of my children- is on the rebound. Since I have better understood my condition of ENS in recent years, I have been able to better treat it and consequently incur fewer colds/infections. My wife is very blessed as she rarely gets sick and so was able to fight off this one.

OK, here's a treatment idea that has been beneficial for my sleep: Acupuncture. I cite this treatment in Having Nasal Surgery?, while acknowledging I had not done it by the time of my writing. Now I have. Acupuncture originated from the Chinese and it consists of inserting thin needles that almost feel like mosquito pricks in strategic places of the body. They can be placed along 14 meridians - or energy pathways in the body and are considered effective for treating various conditions. A condition ENS sufferers often suffer from is sinus headaches, and thus acupuncture is beneficial for alleviating a headache - or even promoting better sleep. The following describes acupuncture from wikipedia:

Acupuncture treatment regulates the flow of Qi and Blood, tonifying where there is deficiency, draining where there is excess, and promoting free flow where there is stagnation. An axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain."

Now, here's my experience: I have undergone two acupuncture treatments thus far. During these treatments, the doctor (a great, ENS sympathetic, holistic-minded doctor) inserted the needles along my right ear, beneath my nose, in my forehead, between my toes, and between my thumb and pointer finger. During these treatments, I noticed a significant warming around my right ear region due to the increased blood flow. I also noticed mucus draining down my throat. After the treatments I felt more relaxed but not necessarily lightheaded. I slept much better those nights after the acupuncture. The effect I found that it had on my body was similar to how I feel after I exercise, but I find the longevity of the effect is greater - up to a few days. Similar to the aftereffects of exercise, there is a release of endorphins and an increased blood flow. (Please note: I believe exercise and subsequent increased blood flow is critical for treating ENS.) I am looking forward to continued acupuncture and will report back here after I undergo more treatments. It has helped alleviate sinus headaches to some extent and has helped me sleep better overall as well.

Hot Liquids for ENS....

Consistent with my recent theme of hot liquids, I want to emphasize one hot beverage that I thoroughly enjoy and seems to bring me at least some temporary relief of my symptoms. It is hot tea, sometimes with lemon and honey. Hot tea with lemon and honey is considered one of the best mucus thinners. I believe a real problem in our society is dehydration, which sometimes leads to sinus infections itself, and it is particularly important to hydrate even more when you feel like you might be coming down with an infection or if you are trying to fight off a cold. In my view, my favorite teas are generally decaffeinated and are herbal. I particularly enjoy Throat Comfort tea by Yogi Tea, as well as the Cold Season Sampler (which consists of Breathe Deep, Echinacea Immune Support, Cold Season, and Throat Comfort). I will generally drink these teas with honey, and sometimes a bit of lemon juice as well. Did you know that lemon is actually alkaline? Given the fact that lemon is very sour, you'd think it was acidic, but I was reading that it is in fact alkaline in a book called The PH Miracle. So, bottom line: lemon is good for you! Some of the herbs in these various teas include:

• Licorice Root
• Thyme
• Eucalyptus
• Basil
• Mullein
• Echinacea
• Ginger
• Cardamom
• Clove
• Peppermint
• Slipper Elm Bark

Other teas I enjoy include chamomille and cinnamon spice. I find the spicy teas are not only soothing on the throat, but also promote healthy digestion.

In an upcoming blog post, I plan to write about some treatments that I have been trying of late to help promote better sleep. I actually had a great night of sleep last night, as I was sleeping more deeply than I have in a while. The treatment is cited in my book, and I plan to share this treatment ideas with those signed up at my ENS newsletter first (www.emptynosesyndrome.net) and then on this blog. As an aside, I learned that the patient mentioned on my January 25th blog post had a turbinate reduction surgery by the doctor who was unreasonable about empty nose syndrome....go figure. In a future blog post, I also hope to pose "hard," yet incredibly important questions that must be addressed by ear, nose and throat specialists in America. Until then, I hope your sinus health is doing well and under control.

'ENT hurdles' in getting treatment help for ENS

I have copied the following testimonial from a writer at the general discussion at emptynosesyndrome.org. I thought it was a good testimony of what some ENS sufferers have to deal with, the hurdles ENS sufferers face in getting proper help, and the total lack of sympathy by some doctors who should know better. This patient has been through multiple turbinate reduction surgeries, so likely is dealing with some level of ENS. This testimony should trouble every person who reads it. All this patient wanted was to be listened to by a sensitive, caring, sympathetic, ENS-knowledgeable doctor who explores medical solutions and puts her health over the protection of a fellow doctor causing empty nose syndrome. ENTs, please take note: That's all we want. That's why we are overly appreciative of Dr. Houser for his work with ENS because we want help desperately -and need it, too. I have edited and shortened the following to highlight the key points. Here's what she wrote:

Hello All,

I have turned to these boards for some time, and especially recently. This winter with the dry heat in NYC has been dreadful for my breathing. I am in the process of sending my CT scans to Dr. Houser. This is a relief, after five years of being told by ENTs to do more procedures and/or that I was inventing a problem for psychological reasons. (As far as I know, psychological problems do not produce mucus that sticks inside the nose, but until I read Chris' book and found out about this site and Dr Houser's work, I was willing to believe I was crazy and alone.) Thank heaven there is a doctor like Dr. Houser who has a soul and a capacity to listen, care, investigate, and respond to our needs with medical solutions.

...I ended up making the mistake of letting my ENT argue for months for the turbinectomy, although I understood it was all or nothing -- no turbinectomy, no septoplasty -- at least this is how the doctor presented it. I had NO idea what a turbinate was and thought he was fighting for the whole surgery to get approved. Finally he told me things were a go, and I did the surgery. After the surgery, he told me "secretly" that although the insurance did not approve the turbinectomy, he went ahead and did it anyway! I just thought, maybe he is just a nice guy, if cavalier, but I did not expect a problem. Why would he have done this if he did not get paid? Was he trying to be a hero? Why didn't he inform me of anything regarding turbinates?

...It has been five years. I am confused. I had NO idea that the missing turbinates were causing my problem, for real, until about a year ago, or less. That is four years later!....I have been through departments!!!! NYU, NY Presbyterian. My current ENT dismisses ENS but still tries to treat my symptoms, at least. I pretend to his face that ENS is something "my worried mom" thinks I have because she does too much internet research. He completely dissed Chris's book to my face and Dr Houser, whom he appears to know, and right then I knew I had to stop trying to convince all these ENTs. Why are they so defensive of something that is standard practice but does not work on everyone? Is it just about protecting themselves from malpractice suits? I don't get it. It seems that could be avoided by informing patients of the risk of turbinate surgery....

Thank to you all for this lifesaving forum.

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Thank you to the above reader for her comments. Here's my challenging questions to the defensive ENT.

1) Why is it that you acknowledge and know how important the turbinates are, but do not address the resulting symptoms from removed turbinates or potential reconstructive surgical treatment options for empty nose? Research has been published in a medical journal clearly defining and offering a surgical remedy for empty nose syndrome, so ENS is an indisputable fact - not something that can be dismissed.

2) Why is it that you appear to be more concerned with protecting a doctor who is causing harm via turbinate removal than the health of that patient?

3) Why is there no professional standard regarding the amount of turbinate to remove in turbinate surgery?

It would be great if that doctor could answer those questions satisfactorily. As the old saying goes, if you are not part of the solution, then you might be part of the problem. Makes you wonder if this particular doctor is part of the problem or solution. Thoughts?

Comments from a reader

Below are some comments from a reader and fellow ENS sufferer, Jdog. I tried to put them in as a post, but he nor I was sure how to do it! Frustrating since I want this blog to be interactive. Here are his comments followed by my own:

Subject: Great work Chris, love the blog.

I think the reference is great for awareness and the low readership is more due to a lack of understanding.

It's obvious that alot of ENS suffers dont know theyhave ENS. However that is changing fast with the forum, book and net in general. The more people thatknow what they have the more people will know what to look for. Keep up the good work. Love the articles.

Chris replies:

Your comments are much appreciated. I agree that a primary reason for low readership of this blog is lack of awareness. It is astounding how many people might be suffering from this condition, at one level or another, yet don't know they have it. Those who don't have it still think it's rare, which couldn't be further from the truth. I very much agree that the Internet has been the primary reason my book has been able to sell as well as it has, and it is the primary means of communication for raising awareness on empty nose on many fronts. The forum, book, and various Internet sites have threatened a medical cover-up, for lack of a better way to put it.

Carbonated water for ENS?

My most recent post discussed how staying properly hydrated by drinking water is an important part of treating empty nose syndrome (ENS). As mentioned in one of my newsletters, a friend of mine suggested that drinking carbonated water is a somewhat effective at treating ENS. He buys many bottles of tonic water at the store. I agree and acknowledge that having the stimulation from the effervescence probably does help a seemingly "dead" throat/inner nose by stimulating otherwise inactive nerve cells. And I encourage you to try this remedy and to report back to me at this blog with a post (just click on the time button at the bottom of this post in order to post).



However, I personally believe the key when drinking water for treating ENS is to keep it warm or hot, which increases blood flow to the throat, helps stimulate the cilia, perhaps even kills bacteria, whereas cold water can do the opposite. Hot water also seems to promote healthy bowel movements, and BMs seem to decrease the stuffiness in my nose; this of course should not be surprising given that the mucous membrane extends from our nose right down to our digestive tracts. This same friend informed me he had started coming down with the beginning stages of a sore throat, but drank many cups of hot water over a period of several days and that effectively cured his sore throat at that time.


What do you think?








Another thing about water and hydration...have you ever noticed that if you drink a lot of water, then your skin becomes less dry and you have less of a need for hand lotion, even if you live in a cold climate, as I do, this time of the year?


On my next post, I'll talk about different teas that are worth drinking for ENS, so stay tuned....

Liquids for ENS....

As an ENS sufferer, I find that liquids are very important for maintaining healthy mucous membranes. The most important liquid for an ENS sufferer is water. Water is considered the universal solvent because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Water is a mucolytic because it helps thin mucus by increasing its water content. Thinner mucus drains better. And ENS sufferers need thinned mucus! I believe many ENS sufferers (and Americans, for that matter) are often dehydrated. The first signs of thirst are often an indication of dehydration. Dr. Rob Ivker, in his book, Sinus Survival, recommends drinking even when you are not thirsty. You should drink 8 cups of water per day as a rule of thumb, and upwards of 13 if you are engaging in a fitness program.

Now, here are some tips to make the water even more effective: make sure the water is pure and heat it up. Hot water is particularly effective at draining thick mucus that has accumulated in your throat. Drinking numerous cups of hot water per day will help moisturize your throat, perhaps even partly substiting for the heating and lubricating role of your removed turbinates. Granted, please be careful not to burn your throat if the water is too hot, but do heat the water up. Is it not surprising that Dr. Ivker (if my memory serves me right) recommends sinus sufferers live off the western coast of Florida because of its heat and humidity? Ice cold water, conversely, as Dr. Grossan points out in his book, freezes the cilia and mucus stays there longer.

My wife, Colleen, and I went on our honeymoon in Maine and stayed at a place called Green Woods. Below is the view from our cabin where you can see the ocean water.

Direction for this Blog: A focus on nasal health tips & ENS News Updates & Pics

As you might notice, it has been a couple weeks since I blogged last, as I have been very busy with my growing family. (And, while writing this post, I took a 1.5 hour break to assist my family, which isn't a bad thing - although I'm more tired right now. We are very blessed, but I am stating a fact). Between my family and job, I have had little time for much else. However, I have fit in an upcoming, second book signing at Park Row Books in Clinton, NY, on February 9th, from 1-3, and I am looking forward to that. This bookstore is the one such store in my local area that has been very supportive toward me as a local author.

As the new year continues to proceed, I believe it is a ripe time to consider the future direction for this blog. I believe this blog should have two goals: to become more interactive and to create a larger readership. I have done about 50 blog posts in the past year and not a single reader of this blog has posted a comment. In order to post, all you have to do is click on the time underneath the message and then post away. Some might suggest I am writing on a narrow topic or readers don't know how to post a reply, but the number of email responses to me has indicated a healthy - no pun intended - number of responses. So I need to make it more interactive. On most given days, I have between 10 and 40 page loads of this blog which, honestly, is very low readership. I'm not sure quite why this is, whether it is I don't blog frequently enough or because the topic turns some off or if it's because the blog focuses almost exclusively on my book - or maybe it is all of the above.

So, my hope for this blog in the newyear is:

1) to encourage readers to post on this blog.

2) to increase the readership of this blog.

It's interesting because the Internet and specifically amazon.com are the primary reasons my book is able to have any impact. The vast majority of my books sold have been through the Internet. Amazon.com has a host of nonfiction, niche books that otherwise would receive little attention in bookstores (which are often indifferent toward self-published authors) or in the media. Amazon.com allows the viewer to be at the doorstep of your book, and you can market it any way you want. Plus, I believe the more savvy readers are those who buy items from the Internet, as you can often find better deals on Internet sites than through local stores.

I am getting on a tangent here, but the question is, how will I encourage readers to post on this blog and increase its readership? After some thought, I am planning to focus this blog more on treatment tips for nasal sufferers (and specifically empty nose sufferers), to blog on a more frequent basis, and to attempt to present the most current news with respect to empty nose syndrome. To some extent, I already do the aforementioned through my empty nose newsletter (which has about 30 readers), and I will keep the newsletter on the cutting edge of my thoughts - that won't be provided through this blog - but I will post more regularly on what I find has been helpful to me as an empty nose sufferer.

And maybe I'll even add some more photos, so you can get to know me better. Below is a photo of the view of the valley about one half mile from my house on my road, which is where I run during the summer months. And, yes, that is what it looks like this time of the year, snow covered and all!

So, please stay tuned...because in the coming days and weeks, my blog will take this turn, hopefully for the better.