… ask the Boogor Doctor …

Biofilms and Chronic Sinusitis

by Russell A. Faust, PhD, MD

Sticky, and Slimy, and Tenaceous, Oh My.

Bacteria in “Biofilms” have properties that make them difficult to kill, both with antibiotics, and by our immune system.

These properties of biofilms help explain the clinical features of chronic rhino-sinusitis, or CRS. Here are the facts:

• Bacteria in biofilms are difficult to grow in a Petri dish (“culture”)
• Bacteria in biofilms are resistant to antibiotics: they may require 1,000 times the concentration that is required to kill the same bacteria that are not in a biofilm
• Bacteria in biofilms are resistant to the immune system
• Bacteria in biofilms are resistant to medical and surgical treatments, and difficult to cure

All of the properties in the list above are the same properties of chronic infections: they are resistant to antibiotics, resistant to our immune systems, and tenacious against our strongest medical and surgical treatments.

These Are Also The Properties of CRS

In sum – CRS is difficult to cure. And we think it is due to bacteria in biofilms.

Not all bacteria can produce the extracellular matrix of biofilms. But most bacteria can live in the biofilm that is produced by other bacteria.

They help each other. Some bacteria within the biofilm are able to make the extracellular matrix; some are able to make enzymes that destroy antibiotics; some are able to make substances that confuse our immune cells.

All of the bacteria in the biofilm benefit. It’s a team effort.

They’re just not on your team.

A lot of attention is now focused on bacterial Biofilm as the cause of many – perhaps most – chronic infections. Including CRS.

For CRS, we know that the nasopharynx and adenoid tissue are a reservoir of bacteria that produce biofilms. Once in the sinuses, these bacteria form biofilms there, too.

Stages of Biofilm Development

What Are Biofilms Like?

If you have ever stepped across a rocky, bubbling creek and noticed the slime on the rocks in the water – that is biofilm. That is a collection of bacteria that have made an extracellular matrix for protection against the force of the running water.

If you stopped to examine it you noticed that it is slimy. It is tenacious. It is resistant to physical removal. They are different species of bacteria, but they make a similar biofilm with similar properties. The stuff causing your CRS is similar.

Some sophisticated treatments have been developed to tackle the problem of biofilms and CRS.

Tune in next time for a 5-Step Program to Cure Your CRS.

Header Image Credit of Flourescent Microscope Image:

Biofilm growing on stainless surface. From CDC, photo by Dr. Rodnay M. Donlan: “Biofilms: Microbial Life on Surfaces”, by Murga & Donlan, 2002.  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polymicrobic_biofilm_epifluorescence.jpg

________________

Thanks for visiting.

I appreciate your comments and questions.  Keep ‘em coming.  Please, “be excellent to one another.”

I invite you to subscribe (it’s FREE) to this blog for weekly updates – you won’t be swamped by updates, I simply cannot write for the blog everyday.

Click here to receive free weekly updates: (http://eepurl.com/FGnP)

Type in your best email address (the one you actually use).

Your email is safe - will never be shared or sold. Ever. Click here to read our Privacy Policy: http://wp.me/PR4iB-r

When the confirmation email from boogor doctor arrives, click on the link to give your okay to receive free weekly updates, occasional book reviews or product reviews, occasional discount-coupons for products that I use (not affiliates), all without needing to visit the website.

It’s free, it’s convenient. No ads. No spam. You can un-subscribe at any time. How cool is that?

Stay Informed.

Stay Healthy.

Best of health and success to you and your families.

Until next time, remember … you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose (unless you’re a boogor doctor :~D)

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Tags: biofilms, childhood sinusitis, chronic sinusitis, microbiome, microorganisms, pediatric sinusitis