CellMed

The sinuses are empty spaces in the skull that protect the brain from external impacts. Sinusitis, the medical term for rhinosinusitis, occurs when bacteria or viruses infiltrate these spaces, causing inflammation.

Chronic sinusitis is defined as ongoing inflammation of the sinus cavities lasting more than three months.¹ Its symptoms include headaches, facial pain, nasal discharge, and nasal congestion. If acute sinusitis persists from three weeks to three months, irreversible mucosal damage may occur in the sinuses.²

Patients with chronic sinusitis have significantly lower physical and social functioning scores compared to those with angina, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic back pain.³

Treatment for chronic sinusitis involves spraying potent anti-inflammatory corticosteroids into the nasal cavity. While it's difficult for these to reach the sinuses, they help alleviate the main symptom of nasal congestion.⁴ If medication fails to improve the condition, surgery may be considered. However, according to other studies, although most patients improve post-surgery, 11% worsen, and 7% see no change.⁵

This case report presents a patient who experienced no improvement from surgery for sinusitis (rhinosinusitis) but showed significant improvement with OCNT, as per the patient's consent.

1. Subject

The study focused on a single case of chronic sinusitis.

1) Name: Cha O O (M/65 years old)

2) Diagnosis: Chronic Sinusitis

3) Date of Onset: 2022

4) Treatment Duration: From September 19, 2023, to present

5) Main Symptoms: Severe nasal congestion, making it difficult to sleep

6) Past Medical History: Appendectomy in 1988, gallbladder removal in 2015, cervical disc herniation in 2021, cataract surgery in 2021, back surgery in 2022, sinusitis surgery in 2023

7) Social History: Smoking one pack per day

8) Family History: None

9) Current Medical History and Medications: Severe constipation, senna-based laxatives, magnesium, immune-boosting herbal medicine, once-weekly prolotherapy injections (back), placenta, arginine injections (metabolism), Eufaplex.

2. Methods

The following nutrition therapy was applied:

Cyaplex F (100, once a day, one sachet each time)

Cyaplex A (001, once a day, one sachet each time)

Cyaplex Nova (used as needed for nasal spray)

The patient, a 65-year-old male, was diagnosed with chronic sinusitis in 2022. His symptoms were so severe that he underwent surgery on July 21, 2023, but there was no improvement. He visited the pharmacy, expressing extreme discomfort and difficulty sleeping due to nasal congestion. He was advised to take Cyaplex F in the morning and Cyaplex X in the evening, and to use Cyaplex Nova as a nasal spray as needed. Two days after starting OCNT, he reported sleeping well, asking if the treatment included a sleep aid. He had no complaints about his eyes, which had previously troubled him with morning crusting, making it difficult to open his eyes. After one week, both issues were resolved (Table 1).

Table 1 . Improvement in Patient's Symptoms After Starting OCNT..

Symptom	First Assessment (23.09.19)	Second Assessment (23.09.21)	Third Assessment (23.09.26)	Fourth Assessment (23.12.07)
Nasal Congestion	5	2	1	0
Eye Crusting	5	3	1	0

0: No symptoms.

1: Symptoms are mild and hardly affect daily life.

2: Symptoms are more distinct, requiring some adjustment in daily life.

3: Symptoms significantly affect daily life, causing difficulty in performing some activities.

4: Symptoms greatly hinder activity performance in daily life.

5: Symptoms cause significant discomfort and stress in daily life.

The anthocyanin-fucoidan complex in Cyaplex F has immune-boosting functions and excellent antioxidant capabilities for removing reactive oxygen species.⁷ Both Cyaplex X and F contain anthocyanins that regulate nitric oxide synthase and potassium channels, modulating vascular dilation and contraction to improve blood flow, inhibit inflammation-inducing agents, reduce TLR4 expression, and suppress activation of the NF-κB pathway and MAPK signaling pathway, thus exerting anti-inflammatory effects.⁸ Additionally, intake of flavonoids like quercetin, rutin, and EGCG reduces inflammation through various mechanisms, including regulating inflammatory signaling, reducing production of inflammatory molecules, decreasing recruitment and activity of inflammatory cells, and modulating cell functions and antioxidant properties.⁹

Moreover, the patient experienced difficulty opening his eyes each morning due to crusts, which can occur when tears are not adequately drained, indicating a dysfunction in the tear drainage system.¹⁰ The connection between the sinuses and nasal passage suggests that chronic sinusitis may have caused nasal blockage, leading to the crusts. Thus, using Cyaplex X and F as part of OCNT not only improved the sinusitis but also alleviated the eye crusts.

This case report represents a single instance and may not be universally applicable to all patients with sinusitis. However, it is reported with the patient's consent due to the significant improvement in symptoms.