If sinus inflammation is affecting your quality of life, it may be time to see a sinus inflammation specialist. | Wikimedia Commons
If sinus inflammation is affecting your quality of life, it may be time to see a sinus inflammation specialist. | Wikimedia Commons
Inflammation of the sinuses is a common condition affecting tens of millions of people -- but it doesn't just affect the sinuses.
It can cause headaches, toothaches, coughing, pain in the eye area and fatigue, according to SteadyHealth.
Inflammation of the sinuses can also make it difficult to breathe freely, according to Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.
"My practice philosophy is to help people to breathe free," Ditto told the Williamsburg Sun. "I try to improve nasal airflow and ventilation to the paranasal sinuses by affecting the structure, as well as the innate lining within the nose, which can be affected by inflammation and other disorders."
Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes found within one or more of the sinuses, according to SteadyHealth. Acute sinusitis can last as little as a few days, up to one month, the website said. Anything lasting more than a month is considered chronic sinusitis.
Allergies are one cause of nasal inflammation, Ditto explained.
"The sinuses are lined by the nasal and sinus epithelium, or lining, and that lining is reactive to allergens," he said. "Those allergens cause histamine release and other inflammatory mediators that cause swelling, and they obstruct the tiny sinus openings in which our sinuses normally drain. Sinus ostias are usually anywhere between 2 to 3 millimeters in size. But that lining around the ostium is dynamic. So if it's inflamed, it's going to swell."
Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers offers several forms of treatment for sinus inflammation, including allergy shots.
"By treating the allergy, you decrease the inflammation. You can maintain sinus openings so that they drain effectively and reduce recurrent and chronic sinusitis," Ditto said.
If allergy shots are not effective, there is an outpatient procedure called balloon sinuplasty. It involves inserting a tiny catheter with a balloon attached into the sinus cavity. The balloon is slowly inflated to open the blocked passageway, then deflated and removed. Balloon sinuplasty is minimally invasive and carries relatively few risks, as well as a short recovery time.
Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers offers a free online Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz to evaluate your sinus symptoms.
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