Episode 395: Prone to Sinus Infections or Ear Infections? Listen to This
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If your “normal” winter cold has a habit of spiraling into a full-blown sinus or ear infection, this episode is your prevention wake-up call so you can stop the cycle. Erin is sharing her favorite strategies that are simple and unglamorous, but will keep things moving.
You’ll learn why dry air is not your friend (hello winter and airplanes!), how a humidifier can help keep mucus thin, and why nasal a neti pot or even just saline spray is one of the easiest ways to physically rinse out irritants and pathogens.
Erin also offers an important PSA on humidifiers you won’t want to miss.
In this episode:
Why dry air can slow your sinuses’ natural clearing system and let pathogens linger longer
The nightly habit Erin forgot to do, and why it matters so much for keeping mucus thin and drainage moving
Neti pot vs. saline spray and how each option can help physically remove viruses, bacteria, allergens, and pollutants
The “helpful but can backfire” list of add-ons to consider when you’re prone to infections after a cold
The humidifier warning most people miss and the quick way to spot when humidity is getting too high
Resources mentioned:
Erin’s Honeywell Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier and Miro Humidifier
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A sinus infection is when the lining of your sinus has become inflamed, swollen, they trap mucus, and it makes it hard for the sinuses to drain properly. And then when that mucus gets stuck, bacteria, viruses or fungi can grow, and that's what leads to an infection. And this can sometimes lead to an ear infection, because when the nose and the sinuses are inflamed, the eustachian tube in your ear can't open well. Fluid will get trapped behind the eardrum, and that fluid becomes a growth medium for bacteria. So this is how. How a cold or a sinus issue or something viral can turn into a bacterial infection.
Welcome to The Funk’tional Nutrition Podcast, spelled with a K. Because we do things a little differently around here. I'm your host, Erin Holt, and I've got 15 years of clinical experience as a functional nutritionist and mindset coach creating a new model that I call Intuitive Functional Medicine™, where we combine root cause medicine with the innate intelligence of your body. This is where science meets self trust. Your body already knows how to heal, and this show is going to show you how. If you're looking for new ways of thinking about your health, be sure to follow and share with a friend, because you never know whose life you might change.
Hello, my friends. If you are prone to sinus infections or ear infections, I want you to listen to today's podcast. I am coming to you hot, live and direct on antibiotics. So I wanted to record this episode right away so we can release it during the winter when some of this gnarly stuff ramps up. This is the second time a virus has turned into a sinus infection for me in under a year.
So it really made me be like, okay, what's going on here? And what am I not doing that I could be doing? So that's what I'm going to unpack. On today's show, I realized, kind of to my embarrassment, that I wasn't doing my tried and true prevention techniques. And turns out they work really well. So I'm going to share them with you. I think, I think maybe what happened, happened is I got a little cocky with all of my Manifest Your Health work. I don't relate to being a sick person anymore. That is a radical difference. I wasn't able to say that years ago and now I can, thanks to Manifest Your Health and the process that I took myself through and continue to work through and take other people through.
So maybe, maybe I got a little sloppy with some of my basic body care stuff, especially in the winter time. At the end of the day, here's the deal. I have a human body, you do too. And those human bodies need to be care took. And if we miss that, it's kind of a significant miss, let's just say that. So back in June, I got the flu. I didn't even know I had the flu. I was like, oh, I just feel a little wonky.
But I was fine. It wasn't really impacting my day to day. But then it started to get worse, I started to feel worse. And one day I woke up and my eyes were so red and so goopy. So I was like, maybe I should go to the walk in. And I got there and they're like, yeah, so you've got flu, B, you've got a sinus infection and you have an ear infection that's so bad it's coming out of your eyeballs. And I was like, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. So I got on antibiotics for that.
A seven day course that was back in June. And then right around Christmas, I caught a Christmas cold again. Felt fine, I was like a little tired, but you know, coughing, nothing major. And eventually it turned into a sinus infection and I felt way worse and had to get on antibiotics again. So obviously it's a huge bummer to be on antibiotics twice within a year. We talk about this all of the time. The microbiome is super, super, super, super, super important and it can take a huge hit even with one course of antibiotics. There can be a lot of gut disruption, there can be immune disruption, there can be yeast issues.
So it's definitely something that we want to avoid as much as we can. We shouldn't be looking at them as our first go to or our first line of intervention. We want to prevent the need for them in the first place. So today I'm going to share with you the ways to prevent a cold or a virus turning into a sinus infection in the first place, especially if you happen to be more prone to that. And just as a reminder, most sinus infections and ear infections are actually viral in nature. And antibiotics are not going to do anything for a viral infection. And most of them will actually resolve on their own with time and with rest. So it can be a little bit of a patience game.
For me, I was 16 days into symptoms and my cough and cold symptoms were getting better, but my body felt a lot worse. So I had no energy to exercise. I was getting good sleep, but it wasn't helping. I wasn't waking up feeling restored. There were three days where I just could not get off the couch. Like, anytime I stood up, I just felt so awful. And this was over two weeks into the cold. And then I felt what I can only describe as immune activation.
Back when I would have autoimmune flares, this is exactly what it felt like. My body just hurt from tip to tail. I just felt inflamed. It's kind of hard to describe, but I just knew. I was like, this is. This is a full body issue. This is no longer a cough or a cold or sinus issue. This is like a full body.
This is systemic. So I went to the doctor and sure enough, my sinuses were inflamed. I started antibiotics, and literally with less than 24 hours in, I was like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory's grandfather. I was like, jumping out of bed. I went from horizontal to springing around the room, like completely back, complete rebound. So obviously it was the right choice, but still frustrating nonetheless that I got another exposure to antibiotics. So again, let's talk about how we can prevent this from happening. But first, let's start by talking about what's happening with a sinus infection and how you get them in the first place.
Your sinuses are air filled spaces that are behind your forehead, your cheeks, your nose, and your eyes. When they're healthy, they drain easily. But with a sinus infection, the lining can swell. There can be a lot of inflammation there. And so then drainage gets blocked, pressure can build up, and infection can take hold. Things are just stagnant. And so if bacteria are there, the bacteria is stagnant as well. It's not being flushed out.
A sinus infection is when the lining of your sinus has become inflamed, swollen, they trap mucus, and it makes it hard for the sinuses to drain properly. And then when that mucus gets stuck, bacteria, viruses or fungi can grow. And that's what leads to an infection. And this can sometimes lead to an ear infection, because when the nose and the sinuses are inflamed, the eustachian tube in your ear can't open well. Fluid will get trapped behind the eardrum, and that fluid becomes a growth medium for bacteria. So this is how a cold or a sinus issue or something viral can turn into a bacterial infection. Common symptoms of sinus inflammation can be facial pressure or pain. This can be on the forehead, the cheeks, or even behind the eyes.
Obviously, Stuffy, blocked nose, thick nasal mucus. So when you're blowing your nose, it's coming out yellow or even green or even like a darker brown color post nasal drip. So it's dripping down the back of your throat that can lead to a cough. You can actually start to cough up mucus. That has nothing to do with your lungs. It's just more post nasal drip headache, tooth pain, especially in the upper teeth, and fatigue, and then sometimes a fever as well. And again, the triggers are usually a cold or a viral infection, sometimes allergies combined with poor sinus drainage, and then definitely combined with a weakened immune function because the immune system is not able to clear it. We can have an acute sinus infection that's up to 10 days.
Chronic is when it starts to last longer. And then there's recurrent sinus infections where they keep coming back over and over again several times a year.
Now, if this is you, there's probably something going on deeper than this episode will uncover. The strategies outlined in this episode will definitely help. But what we often see with recurring sinus infections in practice is that there's sometimes a mold or a fungal infection that's going on simultaneously in the body. And when we combine that with a compromised immune system, it can really show up as recurring sinus infections. So if this is you, my recommendation, yes, definitely listen to today's show, but then also have a full functional medicine workup as well to get to the root of the why they keep coming back.
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So the first prevention tool is a humidifier. I know it's super basic, but why was I sleeping on this? Why was mine stuffed away in a closet? I don't know. I've used a humidifier for years and just kind of have forgotten over the past couple of years. I just bricked, man. I just didn't have it up and running. Here's why humidifiers help prevent sinus infections. It has everything to do with moisture. So your nose and your sinuses are lined with mucous membranes, really, just like the gut. How we talk about the mucous membrane, the lining of the gut, really all of our orifices, and anywhere the immune system is, has some type of mucous membrane associated with it.
So the one in your nose and sinuses have tiny hair like structures called cilia. And that really is your first line of defense against infections, to clear stuff out. So when the air is adequately humid, there's enough moisture in the air, mucus stays thin and slippery, which is exactly what we want, because then the cilia can move the mucus, it can move trapped viruses, trapped bacteria and debris totally out. They can clear them out, which is exactly what the system is supposed to do when it's working well. And this is the process that prevents sinus infection from happening in the first place. Because we're clearing stuff out. There's no chance for the bacteria to take hold if we're actively clearing it out.
When the air is dry. So that oftentimes happens in the winter because the air just gets dry. We have indoor heating, but it can also happen in desert climates on airplanes. It really weakens the barrier system so mucus can become thick, it can become sticky. That those cilia can slow down. They don't work like they're supposed to. And that means pathogens can sit longer in the sinuses and have more chance for an infection to take hold. I feel like I have to issue, like, a trigger warning right now.
TW. T Dubs, I'm going to say a word that you're probably not going to like. When our mucosal surfaces in the body are moist. Sorry, sorry. I had to say it at least once in this episode, we're talking about mucous membranes. Like, we just have to when they're moist (twice) they do their jobs better. So it maintains tight junctions between the cells. It supports local immunoglobulins like secretory IgA, and it can clear out and reduce the inflammation that would otherwise swell tissues and block drainage. So everything just gets stuck. It just gets stagnant. So humidifiers help to prevent sinus infections from taking hold because they're allowing the nasal cavity and the sinuses to drain correctly.
Here's my recommendation: You gotta get one that is easy to clean. I remember getting humidifiers for my daughter when she was a baby, and I would have to throw them out at the end of the season because there was no way to open them up appropriately.
Mildew, mold can start to grow. It can be a disaster. So get one that's super easy to clean. We have two, so I'm going to tell you, the ones that we have in my house, they're really easy to clean. One is the Honeywell germ free cool mist humidifier. I will link to that in the show notes. It's around 70 bucks. This one does need filters. It's super easy to clean, but it does need filters. And I'm just like, I have a lot of skills. There's things that I'm really good at, figuring out filters and changing filters. It's just not my skill set, you know, it's not my zone of genius, if you will.
And then it's like you buy one model and you have to buy the filters for that same model for, like, the rest of the model's life. And then I'm like, when I'm going to buy replacement filters, I'm like, is this these gonna fit? I don't know. It just creates, like, a little bit too much of a mental ruckus for me personally. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm just being honest with you.
So I don't love that one because it has filters, but it works really great. If you're like, I can order filters, not a problem. Like, get a grip. Then get that one. It's relatively affordable and it works really, really good. And it is super duper duper easy to fill and super easy to clean.
There's another one that I have that I prefer. This is the one I have in my bedroom, and it's Miro M-I-R-O again.
I'll link that one up. This one's a bit more spency. I think they're listed now at like, 150, $160. I don't remember what I paid for it. I've had it for probably five years. It's a sleeker design. It's a little prettier. There's no filter. And this one is also really easy to clean. So those would be my two recommendations. I'm sure there's about a bajillion more, but those are just the two that I have been to have in my house.
Now, what I want you to know and understand is that humidifiers can lead to mold growth in your home. So just be conscientious of this. Mold can start to grow on walls, ceilings, windows, carpets, wood behind furniture when the humidity gets too high. So obviously this is something that we want to avoid. If you see any condensation forming, whether it's on windows or on walls or like, corners of your bedroom or anywhere, that is like a red flag.
That is a recipe for mold. So moisture condenses, surfaces will stay damp, and then mold spores can activate. Mold also feeds on dust particles, on skin cells, on fabric, on wood, on drywall. So this isn't stuff that you would always see. It's not necessarily visible mold growth, but just keep that in mind. A lot of people will get a humidifier and run them overnight or kind of run them around the clock, or they'll have a huge humidifier in a small bedroom. They'll use them with the doors closed. And these are all ways that humidity can creep up.
So just be conscientious of this, especially if you use a humidifier often. If you have them cranking overnight, you can actually get a digital hygrometer. I think that's what it's called. They're really affordable, and you can measure the humidity in the room. So if that's something you're worried about, I probably would be helpful to have just for peace of mind, because, hey, guess what mold growth can do? Make sinus infections way, way worse. So we don't want to be robbing from Peter to pay Paul with these humidifiers.
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Now, the second preventative technique or tool or resource is nasal irrigation using saline salt water to rinse out your sinuses. You can do this with a neti pot.
You can also buy a saline nose spray that does pretty much the same thing. And what this helps to do is to thin any thick, sticky mucus. It rehydrates the mucos surface. And remember, we want that mucosal surface rehydrated in what? What's the “M” word? Go ahead, you say it, I won't say it. It allows the cilia to beat more efficiently. It helps your sinuses clear themselves before an infection can take hold. It can actually physically remove viruses, bacteria, allergens, pollutants that are aggravating the sinus cavity. It can shorten how long pathogens contact the mucosa.
So not only does it improve signage, drainage, and clear everything out, it's just going to lower the chance of secondary bacterial infection after a cold. So it's great to do at the sign of a cold, but you can also use this, like, prophylactically. You can just do a netipot every day as a way to prevent any of this stuff from happening. Play to your strengths. If using a neti pot every day is not your bag, that's all right. There's other options. I've used neti pots in the past. I've never developed a consistent practice with it because they're pretty cumbersome and uncomfortable.
If you've never used one, you basically take filtered water, boiled water. You mix it with salt. Sometimes you can really overshoot the salt. And boy, does that sting. Ouchie wawas. And then you put it in. You like, dunk your head over a sink. You put the neti pot in one nostril and you pour it, and then it dribbles out the other nostril.
It's like a whole thing. It's like a whole thing. It's not awesome, it's not pleasant. It's super effective. So if you're into it, do your thing, Mommy. Like, I support you. I'm going to maybe try to recommit to a daily practice of doing that. But like I said, there's alternatives.
And you can also just walk into a pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens and get a saline solution. They come in a tin can and you can just spray the saline solution right up into your nostril. You can use it as a neti pot, it's a little bit more convenient. Or you could just spray it right up into your nostrils. Just check the ingredients and make sure the only ingredients is saline solution. I was going to buy one and it had some weird preservative in it that I just like. I'm like, this is not necessary. So anyway, check the ingredients. Those are your options. It's really safe to use daily. It's not habit forming. It's not going to dry things out like other nasal sprays. So it's a good resource to use.
So those are two strategies that you can use every day to keep the mucous membranes healthy and strong and to prevent stuff from happening. Now, if you have a cold and you know that you're more prone to sinus or ear infections and you want to prevent those from coming on, here's what you can also do. Those other two strategies will work.
I find that high dose vitamin D at the first sign of anything is super effective. When I say high dose, I'm talking like 10,000 IUs a day in the morning. Totally not medical advice. I do not know your vitamin D status. A naturopath told me to do this years ago and like I said, it's been a very effective strategy for me. I was also not doing this. I don't like all of my tools. I was just like, we, we're not going to do, do any of them and just see how we do.
We're going to raw dog this one. Do not advise. Use your tools. They're there for a reason. They're really helpful. So anyway, vitamin D drops, high dose. I also do vitamin A drops. Both vitamin D and vitamin A support the immune system, specifically secretory IgA, which really exists in our mucous membranes and helps to keep our mucosal membranes healthy and strong and prevent stuff from happening.
So those are two great tools to have in your back pocket. I just kind of keep them in like my medicine cabinet, so to speak, and pull them out when I need them. Colloidal silver nose spray is another thing to have on hand. This is not like a saline solution. This is not something that you want to use all of the time. Colloidal silver is a kill all the things type of substance. So if there's something there to kill, it can be effective, but it can really disrupt the microbiome of the mucosal membrane. It can really disrupt the barrier.
So it's not something you want to use all, all of the time. But again, if you're really prone to sinus congestion turning into an infection that you then have to treat with antibiotics, colloidal silver nose spray can be an effective strategy. You can use it at the start of a cold and it has antimicrobial properties to help any bacteria from kind of, taking hold. Another nose spray to consider is Flonase. This is a corticosteroid. It's anti-inflammatory. This is something you can use prophylactically. Again, especially if you are really prone to sinus infections taking over.
It reduces inflammation and it's that inflammation that can cause things to get stuck. It is not something that I would recommend using all the time. If you do find yourself reliant upon flonase all of the time, if you have such significant allergies or just keep getting sinus issues, then again, that would be a situation where I would recommend a root cause functional medicine work because there's probably some things going on underneath the hood that need to be looked at. And then the last tool that can be really effective when you have a lot of congestion is facial massage.
So you can do lymph drainage, you can do Gua Sha facial cupping. All of the things that I've talked about before here on the show, I tend to talk about them more from a beauty perspective, but they can be very, very helpful at clearing out the sinuses. I mean, I would probably just go on Instagram or Google a tutorial of how to do face or sinus drainage with your own two hands. If you don't have any tools on hand, you can just literally use your hands.
And that can super, super help with helping the ears and the sinus cavities drain themselves. Because we want to keep things moving. And then finally, not really the point of today's show, but we have to give a head nod. We have to give a shout out to the core inputs that your immune system needs, which is a healthy diet. It's ample rest, circadian rhythm support really helps to prime our immune system and keep it running smoothly. So meal timing, sleep timing, getting exposure to morning sunlight, all of those things are crucial. And I think part of my issue was, because it was around the holidays, all of this was out of whack.
I was up late reading, man. Sometimes I get a little carried away with my reading. And I was up late, like past midnight, night, you know, like that's super late for me. But then I was waking up in the morning because I had a really big work project and it was putting a lot of pressure on me. So I would stay up late, I was waking up early. So sleep is something that is so crucial for the immune system. So I was already doing myself a disservice there.
And then you guys know that I do believe that the body speaks through metaphors. And so I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. I had a lot of pressure, like time, deadlines. I'm working on a big project, there were some deadlines. So whenever I feel pressure in my body, the immune system tends to respond, my nervous system tends to respond. I don't operate well under pressure. Sometimes I have to learn that lesson the hard way. And so I'm not super surprised that I had a lot of sinus pressure and congestion when I was literally under pressure with work deadlines. And that creates obviously stress in the body that's going to suppress the immune system, so on and so forth.
So it really did me a good opportunity to reevaluate some stuff, clean some things up. I think this is an ever evolving process as humans, especially if you happen to be a human that's like really ambitious. It's just a little, little bit of a dance. So anyway, those are the things that I did, those are the things that I will continue to do. I'm going to put them all in practice as a way to prevent any cold or situation that I come in contact with, to prevent it from moving into a sinus infection, moving into an ear infection. Because I really, really, really want to prevent antibiotic use for the next, let's say couple of years. Let's put that out there into the universe. I really hope that this was helpful. Share it with somebody who needs it and I will check you guys next week.
Thanks for joining me for this episode of The Funk’tional Nutrition Podcast. Please keep in mind this podcast is created for educational purposes only and should never be used as a replacement for medical diagnosis or treatment. If you got something from today's show, don't forget, subscribe, leave a review, share with a friend and keep coming back for more. Take care of you.