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Study
Implicates Fungus
As
Cause Of Chronic Sinusitis
Mayo Clinic researchers say they have found the cause of most chronic sinus
infections -- an immune system response to fungus. They say this discovery
opens the door to the first effective treatment for this problem, the most
common chronic disease in the United States. An estimated 37 million people
in the U.S. suffer from chronic sinusitis, an inflammation of the membranes
of
the nose and sinus cavity. Its incidence has been increasing steadily over
the last decade. Common symptoms are runny nose, nasal congestion, loss
of smell and headaches. Frequently, the chronic inflammation leads to polyps,
small growths in the nasal passages that hinder breathing.
Fungus allergy was thought to be involved in less than 10 percent of cases.
The new studies indicate that, in fact, fungus is likely the cause of nearly
all
of these problems. And it is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction.
The disease process in sinus patients, in sensitive individuals, the body's
immune system sends eosinophils to attack fungi and the eosinophils irritate
the membranes in the nose. As long as fungi remain, so will the irritation.
Antibiotics and over-the-counter decongestants are widely used to treat
chronic sinusitis. In most cases, antibiotics are not effective
for chronic
sinusitis because they target bacteria, not fungi. The over-the-counter
drugs may offer some relief of symptoms, but they have no effect on the
inflammation. Thousands of kinds of single-cell fungi (molds and yeasts)
are
found everywhere in the world. Fungal spores (the reproductive part of
the
organism) become airborne like pollen. Some people develop allergies to
fungi.
The new evidence from the Mayo study suggests that many people also
develop a different kind of immune system response.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings September 1999
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