Now that you understand the signs and symptoms that may occur from any of the limbs of chronic airway-digestive inflammatory disease (CAID), the next step is to accurately pinpoint which of the limbs you are currently experiencing, and where the cascade of symptoms began. For example, you may know that you suffer from seasonal allergies. Every

When a doctor makes a diagnosis, he or she has in mind a list of potential ailments that may be appropriate to your symptoms. This list is called a differential diagnosis. From the differential diagnosis, the doctor can determine which treatments will best resolve your symptoms. For you to develop your own differential diagnosis, you have to think like a physician.

Following is the differential diagnosis tree for the nasal and sinus

■ Bacterial

■ Fungal

■ Viral

Irritants

■ Car exhaust ■ New carpeting

■ Chemicals ■ Paints

■ Cigarette smoke ■ Perfume

■ Cleaning products ■ Stress

■

For you to obtain the right treatment, you need to determine which of these underlying causes is aggravating your system and causing your CAID symptoms. As you can see from the differential diagnosis tree, there are so many underlying causes of CAID that making the right diagnosis for each sufferer can be very

Your role in accurately conveying your symptoms is probably the most important aspect of the diagnosis. I tell my patients all the time that they are the best resource in finding a solution for their problems. I count on my patient’s detective skills: Without them, I could potentially be making a faulty diagnosis.

For instance,

I strongly believe that anyone who suffers from any limb of CAID is experiencing symptoms because of a genetic predisposition. In other words, CAID sufferers are easily affected by their underlying problem primarily because they are genetically programmed to have a specific reaction to that particular irritant. For example, if the symptom quiz suggested that you may have experienced an allergic

As you can see, CAID is complex, and its diagnosis is multifaceted. That is why it is important for anyone who suffers from one or more limbs of CAID to be managed by a team of physicians. I believe that an ENT specialist (otolaryngologist) should be considered the leader of the specialist team. Most internists will admit that they have only the minimum of schooling in sinus issues, but the majority of their patients have these problems.