Steve–Thanks! Emailing you about this.

http://www.pittnews.com/node/20296

I’m actually going to be working with Dr Wenzel later this week at the University of Pittsburgh PA, as a study subject in a different research project. The H1N1 research office is located in the same building as the SARP (severe asthma research program) .

My problem isn’t bacteria, but nasal polyps. They’re (non-cancerous) growths that occur inside the sinus cavities. The medical community still hasn’t figured out exactly what triggers them, but about half of patients with polyps also have allergies. Keeping the sinuses clean seems to limit their growth as well.

The idea behind irrigation (in my case, at least) is that it removing irritants (bacteria, allergens, etc.) from the sinuses will prevent polyps from growing. If you already have polyps, it won’t shrink them, but it may prevent them from growing further or at least slowing their growth.

Considering I had my surgery at Johns Hopkins, I think irrigation is still widely supported by the otolaryngology community. However, I think the scope of the study needs to be extended beyond simply the effects on bacteria.