Your nose is always stuffed. Your head feels heavy and you feel constant sinus pressure and pain. If these symptoms have been going on for weeks and months, you like many Americans, millions in fact, suffer from chronic sinusitis. This severe inflammation of the mucus membranes that line the sinus cavities and other spaces in the face causes a number of symptoms and can impact your quality of life significantly. If you’ve been to a doctor over and over again, taken antibiotics to no avail, it might be time to think of balloon sinuplasty as a treatment option.
Causes of Chronic Sinusitis
While there is no single cause of chronic sinusitis, it is one of the most common conditions in the U.S. There are a number of factors that can cause it including:
- Genetics
- Bacteria, pathogens
- Allergies
- Immune system deficiency
- Environmental factors (i.e.: air pollution)
- Anatomical issues such as polyps, deviated septum
Symptoms of Chronic Sinusitis
Here are a few you may be experiencing:
- Sinus pressure and pain
- Headaches
- Recurrent sinus infections
- Post-Nasal drip
- Cough
- Malaise and fatigue
Balloon Sinuplasty
Balloon sinuplasty is good for people who have chronic sinus infections and other sinusitis symptoms but have not been able to improve their condition by medications. A balloon sinuplasty is not surgery but involves opening inflamed sinuses with the use of a small flexible balloon catheter, improving ventilation and drainage. The procedure can be done in an ear, nose and throat doctor’s office as a same-day procedure.
What to Expect
At our office, we give the person some medication to get them in a calm state. A balloon catheter is inserted in the nose that has been numbed by a topical or injectable anesthetic. Once in the sinus drainage areas, the catheter is inflated which moves the tissues and eggshell thin bones, opening the pathways. The balloon is then deflated and removed. The whole experience takes 1-2 hours.
See a real balloon sinuplasty procedure below.