By Donald P. Dennis, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Treatment Strategy
In September 1999 Mayo Clinic published an article that pegs 93% of all chronic sinusitis as being caused by mold. The mechanism of formation of sinusitis is, you breathe particles (mold in most cases) in the air to which you have an allergic reaction. This reaction causes small pits to form in the lining membranes of the sinuses. These pits trap mucous so that the mucous cannot drain. The stagnant mucous gets infected which causes nasal polyps and thickening of the lining which obstructs the outflow of mucous . The polyps cause more infection and the infection causes more polyps and then there is a viscous cycle which perpetuates itself.
This reaction is most likely a type 2 hypersensitivity reaction. All type 2 hypersensitivity reactions stop when the antigen (mold in this case) is removed. We knew from 20 years of experience that when patients cleaned their environmental air their sinusitis improved. The air mold level required for health was discovered by testing the one hour gravity plate exposure inside each chronic sinusitis patient's home and following them by endoscopic photo graphs as remediation of mold was done. Over 300 patients homes were done and it was discovered that a mold count of 0-4 colonies with a one hour gravity plate exposure was required for the sinus mucosa to clear by endoscopic photography.
Many different ways of mold remediation were tested and a protocol was developed that was easy for the patient to implement and cost effective.
The Wein ionizers model 2500 and 150mm were tested in a know mold contaminated room.
One hour gravity plate samples were taken in the room at different interval before and during the test. All of the plates taken before the ionizer test were too numerous to count colonies (TNTC). The Wein room unit 2500 model caused the mold count to drop to zero by day six in a TNTC mold colony count room.
The Wein neck 150mm unit was tested with a mannequin head with a hose through the nose. A suction pump was attached to the hose. The hose was placed in a jar with a mold plate in the bottom of the jar. Samples were taken by turning on the suction pump and allowing the plate inside the jar to be exposed for 1 hour. All of the plates done before and during the test showed a TNTC mold colony counts. Then the last plate was removed and new plate inserted and the Wein neck 150mm unit was turned on in the factory set power position. At 1 hour there was zero mold colonies. At 2 hours there was 1 colony. The 2 hour plate was a new plate.
Sinus health occurs at 0-4 colonies per 1 hr. plate exposure and the Wein neck 150mm unit reduced the mold load to 1 colony in 2 hours. 2 hour exposure would allow 8 colonies and the Wein unit allows l colony so it is 8 times better or 800% better than required to achieve sinus health.
Note:
EPA “Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: A Reference Manual" uses 50 CFU/m3 as a beginning concern and 10.000 as a problem amount using an Anderson sampler. The equivalents of Gravity feed to Anderson Sampler for 3 minutes @ 28.3 L/min are:
