Bacterial, viral and fungal infections of the sinuses can lead to disabling conditions. Mixtures with tea tree oil have been shown to possess antibacterial and antifungal activities potentially effective as a therapy against sinusitis. Consult a physician before using alternative medications to treat pathogenic infections.
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is derived from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia that has purported beneficial antiseptic properties when applied topically. Dilutions of tea tree oil are typically used as it can cause irritation and is toxic when taken internally, and therefore should never be consumed. Tea tree oil has been shown to be effective against several pathogenic causes of sinusitis including the bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and the fungus Aspergillus.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may be due to infection, allergy or autoimmune issues. Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus species can cause sinusitis associated with infection of skin and soft tissue as found in the nasal sinuses. Alternative therapies exist to combat the effects of chronic sinusitis, and treatment with tea tree oil is becoming increasingly investigated for its potential to augment conventional treatments.
Bacterial Infection Causing Sinusitis
An article in the January 2011 issue of the "International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology" described the clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with Staphylococcus aureus cultured from sinus specimens and characterized by molecular methods. The researchers identified patients with sinus infections, in which 21 percent were MRSA, strains not susceptible to erythromycin. They noted that children with MRSA tended to have a greater recurrence rate than children with other related strains. The authors found that the majority of positive cultures in the study were successfully inactivated by tea tree oil preparations and concluded that the use of this essential oil is a viable option in the treatment of sinusitis.
Fungal Infections Leading to Sinus Infections
An article in the May 2003 issue of the "Archives of Pharmacology Research" showed that essential oils from several plants including Melaleuca alternifolia possessed antifungal activities. The authors reported that most of the tested essential oils significantly inhibited growth of Aspergillus niger and to a lesser extent that of Aspergillus flavus, both known causative agents of sinusitis. Based on this information, researchers published an article in the February 2011 issue of "Clinical and Experimental Allergy" exploring the role of fungal toxins in the pathogenesis of chronic sinusitis. The study sought to determine the effects of these antigens on cellular responses in nasal polyp cells sampled from patients and cultured with Aspergillus extracts. Afterwards they monitored the levels of immune response and found the extracts had induced increased immunological levels and produced cellular changes common to infection. These studies show that the causative agent of fungal sinusitis may possibly be effectively treated by tea tree and other essential oils.
References
- "Clinical and Experimental Allergy"; Role of fungal antigens in eosinophilia-associated cellular responses in nasal polyps: a comparison with enterotoxin; M Okano et al.; February 2011.
- Archives of Pharmacology Research"; Anti-Aspergillus activities of plant essential oils and their combination effects with ketoconazole or amphotericin B; S Shin; May 2003.
- "International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology"; Staphylococcus aureus sinus infections in children; C Whitby et al.; January 2011.
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