I usually don't get sinus or allergy problems. They only time I have ever struggled with air contaminants was while snow skiing in early spring. On the slopes I was fine, but back in town (which was hovering around 40 or 50 degrees), my eyes watered, my nose stopped up, and general misery ensued. Lately, I've been eating less than optimally, working a lot, sleeping not nearly enough and forgetting to supplement. Four days ago, sure enough, the same misery I experienced in that damp, mountain town returned with a vengeance. 

It got to critical mass on Friday night. I went over to Ethan's house and raided his oregano stash. I took 4, but desperate to get some quick relief, I decided to experiment. I knew that the skin between the gums and lips was really thin with plenty of capillaries just below the surface. I knew that skin was easily penetrable, and that saliva has digestive enzymes in it. So I cracked open an oregano cap, stuffed the contents between my lips and gums, and hoped for the best. 

Not 5 minutes later, my nose was blockage free. My ears started to unclog and my head felt clear. I was blown away; even as an ardent supporter of natural medicine and supplements and a long time critic of using synthetic drugs for ANY reason, I have never experienced real relief that quickly using a homeopathic remedy. The oregano knocked my symptoms right out. 

The catch was, after I removed the oregano, symptoms crept back over the course of the night. And it comes as no surprise; Doug talks about all of our symptoms being the product of a systemic fungal infection that is fueled by a poor diet. A dose of oregano wasn't going to knock out a systemic fungi - it certainly wasn't going to remedy weeks of eating poorly. Treating the site of my ailments just cleared up the localized symptoms - it didn't fix the bigger problem. If you want to treat your symptoms such as joint paint, allergy problems or any sort of issue that seems to be affecting a certain part of the body, you have to treat the problem as if it was systemic. Change your diet and supplement with antifungals such as oregano. Treating the localized area, as in my case, brings temporary relief, but fixing the whole body will bring that same relief long term. Both Doug and I will always recommend using natural approaches, but if and when serious illness exists, please share your use of supplements, diet and exercise with your health care provider!