Sinus sufferers often experience severe headaches, along with other unpleasant symptoms. | Adobe Stock
Sinus sufferers often experience severe headaches, along with other unpleasant symptoms. | Adobe Stock
Sinusitis is a lot like a cold, except that it is typically accompanied by extreme pressure, swelling or tenderness around the sinuses.
Those issues aren’t just uncomfortable; they can make even simple activities like eating less enjoyable.
People who find themselves fighting chronic sinusitis on a regular basis may be at higher risk of losing their senses of taste or smell, potentially for extended periods of time, according to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. That loss happens gradually, as a result of sinus or upper-respiratory infections that happen repeatedly, which can cause inflammation and irritation in the sinus cavity.
Dr. Jeffrey Feinfield
| Bella Vista ENT
Treatments to alleviate chronic sinusitis have changed over the years, and the surgical options have improved in a way that means patients can potentially have minimal recovery time, according to WebMD. One of those options is balloon sinuplasty. This in-office procedure involves inserting a thin tube into the nasal passage and inflating it to help the patient’s passageways drain more effectively.
“Someone can be back on their feet and back to work in a day or two, whereas with the traditional sinus surgery, a week,” Dr. Jeffrey Feinfield, a board-certified otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon at Bella Vista ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery, told the San Diego Wire. Bella Vista ENT is located in Thousand Oaks, California.
If a patient has had to deal with multiple sinus infections in a year, it’s a good idea to see an ear, nose and throat specialist. If you suffer from chronic sinusitis and wonder if surgery could be helpful, try the Sinus Quiz to get to the root of your problem.
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