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If you have sinus problems
..try humming!!
By Dr. Narinder Saini. MD Cardiologist
Instead of whistling a happy tune, try humming.
Researchers at the Karolinska Hospital in Sweden
discovered that humming increases ventilation in
the paranasal sinus cavities. This is significant
because your sinuses are major producers of nitric
oxide, which helps dilate capillary beds and increase
blood flow. When nitric oxide levels were measured
during humming, researchers found that they were
15 times higher than during normal breathing. Even
more amazing is the fact that humming dramatically
increased the exchange of gas in the nasal sinuses.
During humming, the gas exchange between the nasal
passages and the sinuses was 98 percent during just
one exhalation, almost a complete exchange. During
normal exhalation, without humming, the gas exchange
rate was only 4 percent.
Why does this matter? Poor gas exchange and poor
circulation in the sinus cavities promote the perfect
environment for bacterial growth and infections.
Based on this study, the researchers feel that daily
breathing exercises involving humming could help
reduce the incidence of sinusitis and upper respiratory
infections. (Am J Respir Crit Care Med 02;166(2):131-2)
When you hum, you feel the vibration along the roof
of your mouth and in your nasal cavity and sinuses.
It's amazing that this simple sound vibration can
have such a profound effect on the exchange of gases
and circulation in your upper respiratory tract.
This phenomenon undoubtedly is linked to the increased
mental clarity experienced by individuals who hum
mantras during meditation. I suspect that humming
various sounds for long periods of time would increase
blood flow and oxygenation in the brain.
If you suffer from chronic sinus problems, try humming
several times a day on a regular basis, and see
if you don't notice an improvement. In fact, it
appears that a little humming would probably do
us all some good, especially during winter. It beats
a flu shot any day of the week.
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