Sometimes, we meet people who seem like they’re suffering from an allergy attack or a continuous cold. These people may seem to have a lot of headaches and often appear disgusted whenever they blow their nose and look at their tissue afterwards. Some of them may have trouble bending forward, with their face parallel to the ground. Though all of these symptoms might seem unrelated, it could be that an individual displaying them has sinusitis. Sinusitis may sound like a complicated or somewhat life-threatening health condition to suffer from. The truth is, while it is an unpleasant experience, sinusitis is simply an infection of the sinuses and is not known to be dangerous. The name itself literally means inflammation of the sinuses.
Most people have four main pairs of sinuses that are located in the following places and known as:
- The frontal sinuses – on either side of the forehead, usually above the eyes
- The ethmoid sinuses – between the eyes, behind the bridge of the nose
- The sphenoid sinuses – between the upper section of the nose, behind the eyes
- The maxillary sinuses – inside the cheekbones, below the eyes
Membranes, similar to those within the nasal passage, line the insides of the sinuses. These membranes produce mucus, which drain into the nostrils via small channels. Though the exact function of sinuses is unknown, many health professionals believe that they help to reduce the weight of the skull, control the pressure within it and prevent inhaled air from becoming too dry and cold for the nasal passages. Sinusitis occurs when the mucus membranes of the sinuses are infected and become inflamed. As a result, the aforementioned channels leading into the nose often become blocked and the surrounding areas can become painful and tender to the touch. This is known as acute sinusitis.
Hijama can help rid the body of excess inflammatory agents that have built up within the sinus cavities. Placing cups locally on the face, such as above the eyebrows and upon the cheekbones, may serve the purpose of unclogging the facial lymphatic drainage system and encouraging it to do its job, which is to drain away the extra fluid within the cells of the face after the body’s inflammatory response to the infection. Treating the systemic points just below the neck and on either side of the spine, directly behind the lungs, could regulate the immune system and prevent an attack of acute sinusitis from becoming chronic. Applying cups to the systemic points could also strengthen the body against all kinds of viral, bacterial and fungal infections, not just sinusitis, and improve the individual’s quality of life in general.
Aafiya Health Care Centre 