With the mayoral election finally over, New Orleans residents are hoping to get their city back on track. One of the biggest concerns is the health hazard caused by the release of dangerous molds growing in the wake of Katrina's receded flood waters. Now there may be a natural alternative that could stamp out the problem of black mold allergies, and the answer is hot peppers.
With the mayoral election finally over, New Orleans residents are hoping to get their city back on track. With this year’s hurricane season about to start, many displaced residents are rushing to rebuild their homes and businesses.
One of the biggest concerns in this rush to rebuild is the release of dangerous allergens floating through the air. Most of these allergens consist of dust and spores released by the reconstruction and various molds growing in place of receded flood waters.
Along with the rebuilding comes the clean up, and nearly every flood damaged structure has been invaded by mold growth over the past 7 months. Although local health authorities say the airborne danger is now diminishing, hundreds of residents from the hardest hit areas are complaining of severe continuing health problems.
Known as the “Katrina Cough,” symptoms include asthmatic breathing complications, sinus infections, chronic nasal congestion and headaches. Many residents claim local officials are downplaying the extent of the problem in an attempt not to scare others from returning to the area.
Bonnie Pierson is a life long Louisiana resident who lost everything when Hurricane Katrina hit. Bonnie had suffered from chronic allergies and headaches for most of her life, but after the waters of Katrina receded, Bonnie’s allergy symptoms worsened greatly. Then Bonnie found a product known as “Sinus Buster,” a nasal spray made with a base of hot peppers.
“We had to go to Metairie to do our shopping because everything was pretty much under water along the coast at that time. I went into this drug store and saw Sinus Buster hot pepper nasal spray behind the pharmacist’s counter. I wasn’t sure about it, but the pharmacist recommended it. So I bought some. The first time I used it my sinuses felt relieved right away, and it kept my headaches under control. I think it could really help the people suffering from the mold allergies all over south Louisiana,” says Pierson.
SiCap Industries is the upstate New York company that makes Sinus Buster. SiCap offers a complete line of natural nasal sprays made with hot pepper extract (Capsaicin) sold under the “Sinus Buster” brand. While Sinus Buster has been shown to relieve a variety of chronic sinus and headache conditions, it has also been shown to combat general nasal allergy symptoms. Many displaced residents around New Orleans believe this unique pepper nasal spray may be the answer for Katrina victims suffering from related toxic mold allergies.
“The dust spores released by the molds cause lots of allergy related problems. People who are prone to sinus infections are very affected by the molds. The black mold especially can cause toxic reactions when it’s breathed in which leads to chronic Rhinitis. The active ingredient in hot peppers, Capsaicin has the ability to desensitize the nerve fibers that react to various allergens in the air. The pepper also forces the nerve fibers to release particles trapped inside the nasal cavities,” says Wayne Perry, president of SiCap Industries.
The management at SiCap is now working in cooperation with the Amazing Grace Church of Lafitte, Louisiana to distribute Sinus Buster to displaced residents throughout the greater New Orleans area. Church officials are supplying the complimentary Sinus Buster at various displacement centers throughout their region. According to all concerned parties, the goal is to stamp out the effects of the molds left behind by Katrina’s flooding.
