North Baltimore Journal

• Millions of Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis every year.

• Symptoms of sinusitis include congestion, nasal discharge, facial pain, fever, headaches and toothaches.

• If left untreated, sinusitis can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.  

Chronic sinusitis can have irritating side effects, but if left untreated, it can trigger serious health conditions. Dr. James Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers said that, for people with recurring sinusitis, balloon sinuplasty is a great treatment option because it's quick, minimally invasive and cost-effective.

One surgical treatment option for chronic sinusitis sufferers is balloon sinuplasty. A balloon sinuplasty procedure lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities during that time, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

"What [balloon sinuplasty] does is it addresses the anatomy in a minimally invasive, comfortable way for the patient without having to undergo general anesthesia, which was the conventional approach before the innovation with the balloons,” Oberman told North Baltimore Journal. “Under topical and local anesthesia, you can find the normal anatomic opening and widen it, essentially. A narrowed anatomic opening is what's called a hypoventilated, under-ventilated, unhealthy sinus, so that contributes to chronic symptomatology and recurrent infections. So if you can open that anatomy with the balloon, it's safer for the patient, as well as more cost-effective and efficient."

Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic sinusitis is responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

People suffering from sinusitis might experience congestion, facial pain, headaches, toothaches, nasal drainage, a reduced ability to smell, fever and bad breath, according to Scotland's National Health Service. If you're experiencing symptoms that aren't improving for more than a week, it's recommended to see a physician.

An ENT specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, and if those don't help symptoms improve, the doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If those treatments do not resolve the sinusitis symptoms, the specialist may recommend a sinus surgery.

Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which, if left untreated, can cause an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, according to Next Avenue. 

If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of allergies and sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.