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When I first started seeing an ENT specialist years ago for my sinus problems, I purchased a couple of books on the subject of sinusitis. When I mentioned this to my doctor and asked a couple of questions that showed a bit more knowledge of the subject than most people had, he frowned and had a worried look on his face. He then commented that having only 'a little bit of knowledge was dangerous'. I therefore appreciated the comments by Dr. Josephson in his new book entitled 'Sinus Relief Now- The Groundbreaking 5 Step Program for Sinus, Allergy, and Asthma Sufferers'. He stated: 'If your physician responds negatively to your newfound knowledge or is obviously uncomfortable working with a patient who is well educated about his or her disease, it's another clear signal that it's time to move on' (and find another doctor). I wish I had had this advice at that time, as the doctor eventually performed my first sinus surgery, caused me immense pain, and he didn't improve my situation at all.

It should be mentioned at this point that Dr. Josephson is a well known and highly regarded ENT specialist and surgeon. He has several times been on New York magazine's 'Best Doctors' list. He has been an expert commentator on many local and national television programs, and he is the Director of the New York Nasal and Sinus Center. I personally believe this book should be part of the home library of anyone who suffers from what Dr. Josephson calls CAID, or Chronic Airway-Digestive Inflammatory Disease.

In the U.S. alone this includes about 70 million people who suffer from sinus disease, asthma, allergies, reflux diseases GERD and LRPD, as well as sleep problems like snoring and sleep apnea. Dr. Josephson believes that all these problems can be related for the simple reason that they all are associated with parts of the body which are directly connected together in the upper and lower respiratory and digestive systems. This is an interesting concept and is explained clearly and thoroughly in the early chapters of the book. Dr. Josephson discusses the symptoms of all these maladies and then offers a CAID test, which helps the reader understand which branch of CAID is causing his problems. He explains symptoms and possible treatment options in great detail for the various 'limbs' of CAID, sinus disease, allergies, asthma, GERD and LPRD, and sleep disorders such as snoring and sleep apnea.

One point is made clear throughout the book: like high blood pressure, sinus disease cannot be 'cured' in the sense that it is gone once and for all, but it can only be controlled. But with this awareness and being knowledgeable about one's problem, it is possible to control these health issues, and one can improve his or her life and not be forced to 'just live with it'.

There are a number of things I was pleased to see in 'Sinus Relief Now':

1. Dr. Josephson is a sinus sufferer himself. He has undergone sinus surgery, uses the therapies he recommends, and 'knows the feeling'. I got the feeling when reading the book that this person has gone through some of the same pain I have experienced.

2. Dr. Josephson strongly emphasizes the use of nasal irrigation. He uses a sinus irrigation device every day, as do I. He also talks about using a neti pot for sinus irrigation, but I've used both and find the irrigator much more effective. I personally would not even recommend the neti pot method.

3. Dr. Josephson is a surgeon, and he pushes for a very conservative approach regarding turbinates. In the past many surgeons routinely cut out parts or even most of the turbinates in people. In recent years it is becoming apparent that this can have disastrous effects on patients over time, and there are many horror stories to read at the forum of the ENS Association web site. ENS stands for Empty Nose Syndrome, which is the term coined for this condition.

4. Dr. Josephson says that smokers with CAID problems simply must quit. He has some appreciation of the difficulty of quitting, however, and offers some guidelines for that as well.