Can Dead Sea Salt Cure Your Sinusitis?
Minerals. They can make all the difference in the things we use every day, from our drinking water to our hand soap. Now a new study seems to suggest that the mineral content of the salt you use to irrigate your nose and sinuses can make a big difference too. It turns out that the unusually high mineral content of salt found around the Dead Sea seems to reduce inflammation and sinus symptoms as well as many modern medications:
In the study, 114 adults presenting complaints of CRS-related symptoms completed a Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test 20 (SNOT-20) [ha! –ed] and underwent an endonasal examination, acoustic rhinometry and smell testing. Patients were randomized into two groups: the experimental group that self-administered hypertonic (highly concentrated) DSS spray and DSS irrigation and the control group that self-administered topical nasal steroid spray and hypertonic saline irrigation.
This is not wholly surprising to those of us in sinus medicine: it’s well known that osmotic pressure plays a large role in saltwater irrigation, and a number of minerals have already been shown to slay bacteria on sight. (Heard about this?) In the case of Dead Sea salt, those minerals happen to include high concentrations of several beneficial compounds, including zinc, calcium, bromide and magnesium.
So if you’re in the market for special salt to mix with purified water the next time you feel the need to irrigate, consider a batch from the saltiest sea on the planet.
