This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Hi All,
For the first time, I saw a post on a different thread from Lyndacarol considering a link between MS and Sinusitis. I was very interested as I have, like all of you, tried to find my own personal connection. Due to a facial accident years ago, I have gone through numerous surgeries and procedures to repair a completely screwed up sinus system. When I get MRI's my tech always tells me that the MS is one thing but the sinus issue is going to kill me. It has been impossible for me not to connect the two. I found this old study and have to wonder why there has not been more attention given to this. Any one else out there with more info?
Thank,
Lars

Multiple sclerosis and sinusitis
Sir,
A research project in general practice showed an association between multiple sclerosis and sinusitis.1 More and more evidence is accumulating to support a hypothesis that in multiple sclerosis the central nervous system is subjected to 'showers' of endotoxins from anaerobic commensal bacteria which grow in diseased mucosal tissue of the sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses. These endotoxins pass into the cerebrospinal fluid through bony defects which are frequently present in the sphenoid. From the cerebrospinal fluid these 'noxious substances' reach the tissues of the brain and cord via the Virchow-Robin spaces and demyelinating lesions arise.

A great barrier to discovering the cause of multiple sclerosis has been the lack of post-mortem material. When a patient with multiple sclerosis dies the general practitioner or consultant rarely asks for a post-mortem because they know the cause of death. We wonder if general practitioners could help our research by obtaining permission for us to examine the brain and cranial cavity of any of their patients who die with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. A complete autopsy would not be requested. We would be prepared to attend anywhere at any time.

GEORGE DICK
Waterland
Rowhook
Horsham
West Sussex RH12 3PX
DEREK GAY
Green Storthe
Coast Road
West Mersea, Colchester
Essex C05 8LS
Reference
1. Gay D, Dick G, Upton G. Multiple sclerosis associated with sinusitis: a case controlled study in general practice. Lancet 1986; 1: 815-819.
172 Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, April 1988

Hi Lars-
I was also interested in LyndaCarol's reference. Thanks for taking the ball and running with it. My husband has a severe deviated septum, nasal allergies, and a jolly red nose. He just went on a sneezing jag, sitting next to me, for several minutes. He's rarely sick, but his nose is never "well."

Here's a thread regarding nasal drug administration and the access of the blood brain barrier thru the sinus cavity. Might be of interest to you.

http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-5080-nasal.html

There's certainly some sort of correlation. Let's put our noses together.
best,
AC

_________________
Husband dx RRMS 3/07
dx dual jugular vein stenosis (CCSVI) 4/09
dual stents placed 5/09
CCSVI in MS

P.S.

Here's a product I was interested in checking out, might help stop paranasal sinus infections...."SinoFresh"


http://www.natlallergy.com/product.asp? ... 1203274545

AC

_________________
Husband dx RRMS 3/07
dx dual jugular vein stenosis (CCSVI) 4/09
dual stents placed 5/09
CCSVI in MS

I don't know that I've ever had sinusitis? But I've always had allergies that give me a perpetually stuffy nose. I suppose there's some relation there also?

_________________
Take care, Ewizabeth Previously Avonex, Rebif & Copaxone RRMS ~Tysabri, 31 infusions, ended 9/09. Starting Copaxone 12/09, waiting for Cladribine to be approved in 2010.

AC,

Try a NETI pot as well. I have always been sinusy until I started using that thing. It is a complete sinus rinse system and I don't get sinus infections at anywhere near the level I used to.

I started using the NeilMed sinus rinse about nine months ago. My face pain/migraine headaches have been reduced to one (1) in that period of time. Did the headaches stop because of the sinus rinse? I cannot say for sure because during the same time I retired (less stress), started watching my diet more closely, and started a daily exercise routine. I doubt if I will stop using the rinse just to test to see if the headaches come back!

The sinus rinse kits are inexpensive, and are easy to use - I would recommend giving them a try.

Sharon

i have never had any sinus problems that i'm aware of. if there's a link for some, it tends to confirm my opinion that there are many varieties of "ms"!!

is the problem perhaps that we feel we have to categorize, and assign a label to health issues, regardless of whether there's a known specific cause?

Hey Lew-
Thanks for the neti pot reminder. Saw it on Oprah's show with Dr. Oz, made a mental note and promptly forgot!

Thanks for the Neilmed suggestion, too, Sharon.

Lars, I wonder what the MRI tech was referring to, as to your deadly sinuses? Can you tie your injury to your MS diagnosis?

And JL....it's just another thing to add to our long list of questions. I agree with you, MS is probably a label, an "umbrella" diagnosis for a process that begins with the breach of the blood brain barrier by some foreign agent, causes a hyper alert immune system's cells to attach to look-alike myelin and begin the process of axonal death in the CNS.
AC

_________________
Husband dx RRMS 3/07
dx dual jugular vein stenosis (CCSVI) 4/09
dual stents placed 5/09
CCSVI in MS

Jimmylegs,
Human nature. Problem solving is part of the human condition. To put a label on a health condition is what medicine is all about. Whether or not it is to late to help those of us already diagnosed, there is always the hope that a label and cause can help those who are not.
Be Well,
Lars

i agree but when the label stops short, perhaps it's less useful. when there is no cut and dried diagnostic test, maybe the label is at the wrong scale.

Jimmylegs, (Cheerleader)
For me the titles and labels are unimportant, as long as I am one of the afflicted group I can never stop wondering what caused this. I think as ms'ers it is sort of our calling to be as "detective" as possible. No one knows as much about a (possibly mythical) common thread as we do. That said I must admit that this sinus connection is as much a personal hunch as anything else. Although, I was happy to see the article I posted as reinforcement. It's just that sooo many of those I meet have the same issue. My time line is as follows; Rodeo accident in 1977 full facial reconstruction (poorly done). Constant sinus infection for years. 1993; correct massively deviated septum, repair bone structure and clean sinus passage. Late 90's remove polyps, open sinuses. 2006; haven't taken a breath through my nose in years, can't smell a thing, breathing through my mouth is becoming an issue. Talk of throat cancer. Talk of Asthma. A scope shows incredible polyp growth in every conceivable area. MRI cites massive sinusitis first and nearly a dozen lesions due to MS, SECOND. Hard not to feel some connection. I would love to see further study.
Sorry for the long babble!
Take Care,
Lars

What if an individual lingering cold would do the same? Too much sinus pressure- all the germs in the nose marinating and being pushed in?

I have chronic sinusitis (and drainage) and suspect its link to my MS. Some time ago Lars made comments that prompted further investigation. For those interested, http://www.aaohns.org has lots of good information.

Specifically, http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/sinus/ ... enoid2.cfm is very interesting with these sentences: "The sphenoid sinus is adjacent to the main nerve that is responsible for vision, the optic nerve. The main artery that goes to the brain, the carotid artery, travels along the wall of this sinus."

Does it seem like all roads are leading to the sphenoid? Optic neuritis, lesions in the brain??? And so many folks I know with MS report sinus infections, sinusitis, allergies, even one with CONSTANT throat-clearing tho she says she has no sinus problems!

A later thought: Could the statins and other anti-inflammatories actually be working on inflammation in the sinuses??

I can definitely see a correlation to irritated sinuses and ON. When my ON flares up throughout the day, it is virtually always accompanied with sinus congestion. Sometimes I can "feel" the congestion coming on and it's precursor is almost always blurry vision.

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http://myhopefuljourneyintoactualmsreco ... ogspot.com

I think my first post ever on this forum is related to this area: at that time it had been discovered that the nasal mucosa is jam packed with neural stem cells, and it was also being revealed that many people with MS have a leaky gut. I put the two phenomena together into a rather half baked theory that protein fragments from neural stem cells could trickle down the throat via post-nasal drip, somehow survive stomach acids, then make their way into the bloodstream through the leaky gut and trigger an immune response. But this new idea seems like a much more direct and believable pathway.
I've never had sinus problems as such, but my nose drips constantly , and so did my mother's, (hence the standing joke: " noses run in our family"), and I always had a sneaking suspicion that MS and our high tissue bills were linked,

_________________
Dom