A growing number of patients are beginning to use complementary and alternative medicine more and more to help treat chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). It is estimated that over 31 million Americans suffer from chronic rhinosinusitis each year.
It is no wonder that patients are using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as the antibiotics to treat pain, swelling and nasal discharge have not given the results they are seeking. The conventional treatment is costing the United States $3.5 billion annually and yet the drugs are NOT treating the underlying problems associated with chronic rhinosinusitis.
To define chronic rhinosinusitis, it can be listed as one of the following possibilities:
1. acute (bacterial) rhinosinusitis,
2. chronic rhinosinusitis without polyps,
3. chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps, and
4. allergic fungal rhinosinusitis.
It can also be characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and paranasal sinuses (adjacent to the nasal cavities) lasting over a period of 12 weeks.
A study was done with 75 patients over a two-month period. They were provided questionnaires collecting the following data:
· Demographic information
· Did they ever use CAM (from a list of 49 herbal and non-herbal alternative therapies – i.e., acupuncture, massage, aloe vera).
· Why did they use CAM
· Where did they learn of CAM
· Was their doctor aware they were using it
Out of the 75 patients, 65% had used complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) and 35% had used it for chronic rhinosinusitis. Women were definitely more prone to use CAM than men. The data also showed that patients who were employed, married and had college degrees, were more likely to use CAM. Out of the 75 patients interviewed, only 43% had informed their doctor that they were using an alternative type of therapy.
It was noted by the researchers that patients were reluctant to tell their doctor about using alternative therapies. This shows that the medical profession needs to be more open to using complementary/alternative therapies along with conventional means, in other words – Integrative medicine – so that the patient can feel more open to discussing the various types of therapies and what might be best for the individual person.
