Montgomery News

The scientific evidence is in: Nitric oxide can help increase athletic performance and reduce chronic sinusitis symptoms.

Chronic sinusitis corresponds with more than a 50% reduction in nasal nitric oxide levels, according to Acta Oto-Laryngologica.

Evidence suggests that lack of nitric oxide may even contribute to the development of the disease. In a study of 82 patients, nitric oxide levels were significantly lower in patients with nasal polyps than those with uncomplicated allergic rhinitis, according to Clinical and Experimental Allergy.

A report in the journal Medical Hypotheses said patients can naturally increase nitric oxide concentrations simply by humming. In one case study, chronic rhinosinusitis symptoms -- such as postnasal drip, facial or maxillary sinus pain and inflammation of sinus -- were essentially eliminated in four days by using a humming regimen, possibly due to antifungal properties of nitric oxide.  

Chronic sinusitis is mostly caused by nasal allergies, nasal obstruction, nasal polyps or infections, according to Healthline.

“Our sinus cavities are located right behind our facial structure, so when there's inflammation going on in our maxillary sinuses, which are the sinuses behind our cheeks, you get this referred pain. The nerve endings are shared all throughout the head and neck area, so inflammation in the sinus cavity can refer down into the upper teeth,” Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Montgomery News.

Nitric oxide is a colorless gas and is known as a “signaling molecule," according to Wikipedia.

Its biological functions are vast, making it one of the most important molecules in the body: from anti-inflammatory properties, immune defense against viruses and parasitic organisms, hormonal effects, influence on the secretion of hormones, to regulation of bladder function and protecting the skin from ionizing radiation, according to LVI Global.

Nitric oxide inhaled during nasal breathing improves blood oxygenation, Train Right reported. Researchers believe there may be a positive effect on athletic performance.

To learn more about this article or to take a sinus self-assessment, please visit Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.