In Favor of Fruits – Alabama Nasal & Sinus Center

There is a lot of confusion out there these days regarding what foods to eat.  Eat this, not that.  Well, now that may cause cancer in small rodents if taken in excess, so careful eating THAT.  What’s an omnivore to do?  So many options turns into so many possible land mines.  Well, I hope that I can ease you mind a little with this post.  

You may be asking, “What does an ENT know about diet?”  Well, this ENT is also a human who likes to eat a lot and I have a special interest in allergy and sinus disease, both of which are affected by the foods we eat.  Much of my knowledge comes from first hand experience.  As a person who has a history of arthritis and allergies, I began searching for the underlying cause of my problems years ago.  I found that part of the problem for me is that I have food sensitivities or cyclic food allergies.  These types of food allergies/sensitivities are mediated by a different type of immunoglobulin than the classic type food allergy, which most people are familiar with.  Fixed food allergy reactions are immediate in onset and involve swelling of the face and possibly affect the airway.  This type of reaction was dramatically, though comically, portrayed by Will Smith in the movie Hitch.  Cyclic food allergies, on the other hand, present as nasal congestion, sneezing, and headaches, with or without stomach upset, starting four to twenty-four hours after ingesting the offending food.  Thus, it is difficult to make the connection between the food you are sensitive to and the symptoms of allergy or inflammation you are having.  

The allergy symptoms caused by food sensitivities are very similar to more typical inhalant allergy symptoms.  A patient may have both inhalant allergies and food sensitivities concomittantly.  Thorough history taking and testing are the only way to know for certain what may be causing your particular problems.  The chronic inflammatory state that is affected, however, can lead to sleep disturbance, chronic sinus infections, and arthritides.  Strangely, few people that I meet have ever considered that the food they eat, that is, the products that they put in their bodies several times a day, might have anything to do with how they are feeling.  Personal experience and scientific data now support a link between foods and inflammatory processes, many of which manifest in sinus and allergy conditions.  So, I, for one, am in favor of fruits….and nuts, and lots of vegetables.  Stay away from sugar and minimize your grains.  Look at eating as an adventure and enjoy the bountiful options available at local farmers markets and at many local grocers.  Y’all call me 205-980-2091.  I’d love to talk to you more about this or any other topic of interest to you.

God bless.

I am a general otolaryngologist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the ears, nose, and throat. Though I treat patients in all areas of otolaryngology, of all ages, I have special interests in rhinology, otolaryngic allergy, pediatric otolaryngology, and head and neck cancer.

I was born in Dothan, Alabama and spent my first two years in Troy, where my parents were completing school. Most of my early childhood and adolescence was spent in Pace, Florida, just East of Pensacola. I left home after graduating from Pace High School to attend the University of Florida. While there, I became very involved in various student leadership activities and even found time to play football for the Gators under Coach Spurrier. I loved college so much, I got two degrees and spent another two years in Gainesville while my new bride finished her degree in health science education. I am proudly married to the charming and beautiful Simone, mother of our three wonderful children.

I was pleased to get back to the Gulf Coast for a while when the University of South Alabama accepted me into their medical school. Those four years were some of the most intense and most fondly remembered years of my life. I started my training in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of Alabama Birmingham in 2001. I completed residency training in 2006 and began working in private practice in Valdosta, Georgia. It was while training at UAB that I met Dr. Michael Sillers. It is my great privilege to call Dr. Sillers my mentor and friend. We have known each other for over a decade now, and I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to join Dr. Sillers and the Alabama Nasal and Sinus Center in providing the best in otolaryngology care to the people of Birmingham and surrounding areas.