What the Nose Knows The force of a sneeze is estimated to discharge particles of moisture at about 100 miles per hour. That interesting piece of trivia comes from Paul Duxbury, an old friend of HSI who recently contacted me with some very encouraging news for allergy sufferers. In the e-Alert "Gesundheit!" (8/14/03), I told you about SneezEze, an all-natural allergy treatment developed by Paul and his business partner, Mike James. In a study conducted in England last year, SneezEze effectively helped hay fever patients cope with their worst symptoms at the peak of the season. Now Paul has sent me information about a new study from Greece that shows SneezEze to be useful in the treatment of chronic allergies that can make life miserable all year 'round. The study was led by Konstantinos Vlahtsis, M.D., professor of allergies at Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Dr. Vlahtsis and his team recruited 40 subjects (16 men and 24 women) who were diagnosed with perennial allergic rhinitis, which means that their allergies can occur at any time, and may be triggered by any of a variety of factors, such as dust mites, pet dander, smoke, pollen, etc. All of the subjects had previously addressed their symptoms with pharmaceuticals (such as antihistamines or decongestants), and agreed to refrain from using any of these medications during the six-week study period. Subjects were instructed to use SneezEze once daily - either in the morning or at the time of day when their symptoms usually occurred. Four symptoms (sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and watery eyes) were evaluated for each subject before the study began, again at three weeks, and a final time at six weeks. A scale of one to five was used to measure symptoms, with one representing zero improvement of symptoms, and five representing complete relief and an absence of symptoms. The results: - At three-weeks, 45 percent of the subjects reported either
complete or major relief - At six-weeks, 90 percent reported at least some improvement in
their symptoms - More than 75 percent reported either complete or major relief
- An additional 15 percent reported noticeable relief of allergy
symptoms - Less than 3 percent reported no improvement
Dr. Vlahtsis' study will be published in an upcoming issue of a Greek rhinology journal. SneezeEze was originally formulated by Mike James to help his son find relief from chronic sneezing attacks. After much trial and error, Mike came up with a completely organic powdered plant extract, which created a gel when it came into contact with moisture. Observing that the gel was very similar to mucus, he had his son sniff the powder into his nose, and the sneezing stopped immediately. When I was first introduced to Mike (by e-mail - he lives in England), he explained that when people are allergic to pollen and other airborne pollutants, their bodies aren't supplying enough mucus to properly filter air as it goes through the nasal passages. As a result, allergens make contact with the sinuses and lungs, triggering wheezing, sneezing, and other unpleasant reactions. Nasaleze simply and naturally generates a substitute for the missing mucous, which protects sensitive areas. Next up for SneezEze: We'll be looking for the results of a double blind placebo controlled trial currently being conducted by the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit at University College at Worcester, England. This study was designed to run during the height of the grass pollen season (late May through late July). Paul Duxbury has promised to send along the results of that research as soon as they're available. If you're an allergy sufferer and would like to try SneezEze for yourself, and you live in the U.S., use this web site for more information: sneezeze.com. Outside the U.S., the product is sold under the name Nasaleze, which can be found at: nasaleze.com. Both Nasaleze and SneezEze offer money-back guarantees if you're not completely satisfied, so both products are risk-free. And if you're an HSI member, please mention that when placing your order. The sneezeze.com site also has a helpful feature for those with hay fever: By just entering your zip code, you can find out the pollen count in your area today, as well as a pollen count four-day forecast. To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute Sources: "Clinical Study Results Summary" Dr. Konstantinos Vlahtsis, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Presented at the 4th Annual Pan Hellenic Seminar of Rhinology, 5/27/04
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