Does Chilli 'scorch sinus pain'..!?
I was intrigued recently to read a snippet in The Daily Telegraph entitled, ‘Chilli scorches sinus pain’.
As we all know, the chilli in a good strong curry or chilli dish can do wonders for a blocked nose and sinuses, but that the effect is temporary (as, thankfully, is the effect of the lager used to cool the effects on the mouth….)
Well, apparently a study in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has found that a nasal spray containing an ingredient from hot chilli peppers (Capsicum annum) may help ‘clear up’ certain types of nasal and sinus inflammation, such as non-allergic rhinitis.
I must admit that the thought of squirting chilli pepper up the nose is a somewhat eye watering thought, even if it does clear up sinus pain !!
Interestingly enough, I am aware that Capsicum is used for chronic pain as it does have an effect on pain receptors, so I guess the effect in the nose may be due to some similar effect on the pain receptors in the sinuses or possibly on the (parasympathetic) nerves that promote swelling of the nasal lining and thus excess mucous secretion.
However, before you go searching for the chilli pepper in your kitchen cupboards, let me emphasise that I certainly would NOT suggest you try this at home, but this may be something to keep an eye on in the future for it's possible benefits in my everyday practice – you heard it here first !
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