North Baltimore Journal

Those suffering with chronic sinus issues or rhinitis may be ideal candidates for new types of sinus surgery that can lead to long-term relief from the disruptive daily symptoms.

While most sinus infections will clear up on their own or with help from antibiotics and other over-the-counter medications, conditions like chronic rhinitis may require more extensive procedures like sinus surgery, according to WebMD. If you are suffering from chronic sinusitis, you might want to discuss your choices with a specialist an learn how the options have come a long way in just a few years.

Consider the ClariFix procedure, for example.

Dr. Jamie Oberman | Frederick Breathe Free

"It's a freezing of the posterior nasal nerve to address what's called vasomotor rhinitis, as well as allergic and nonallergic rhinitis," Dr. Jamie Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told the North Baltimore Journal. "Prior to that, we only had topical medicines to address those problems, and a lot of folks either don't respond to those meds... or are either not compliant or just don't tolerate instilling topical medicines in their nose."

But that freezing procedure, or cryoablation, is not the only choice. Oberman mentioned two other procedures that focus on the nasal nerve, which causes vasomotor rhinitis. 

"The minimally invasive modality that we perform has three different approaches, all addressing the anatomy in the nose, particularly the posterior nasal nerve that addresses and causes vasomotor rhinitis," he said. "These minimally invasive intranasal procedures that can be performed simply in the clinic have efficiently reduced morbidity and given us another way to address the significant amount of patients who fail medical management or don't tolerate medical management."

The goal of a sinus surgery is to relieve a patient's symptoms and cut down on the number of sinus infections a patient gets. Along with improving the symptoms and reducing the number of sinus infections, sinus surgery can also benefit patients by allowing better breathing, reducing chronic congestion and restoring the sense of smell or taste.

Endoscopy is a common procedure where a doctor inserts very thin and flexible instrument into the nose. One of the instruments has a camera to send images back to a screen and the other has instruments to remove polyps, scar tissue or other obstructions that cause nasal blockages. Endoscopy is generally done with a local anesthetic, so the patient remains awake, and the recovery time is quick.

A balloon sinuplasty is a newer procedure, where a doctor inserts a balloon into the sinuses and inflates it to clear the passageway, allowing the sinuses to drain better. This is another minimally invasive procedure that can be performed in the doctor's office and has a very short recovery period.

If you are experiencing chronic sinus issues, take the Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz at the Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers website to find out if seeing a doctor could help.