Williamsburg Sun

• Chronic sinusitis can lead to snoring.

• Snoring can cause other medical issues, including higher risk for heart attacks and strokes.

• A balloon sinuplasty can fix chronic sinus problems.    

Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says a balloon sinuplasty procedure is an efficient, minimally invasive way to resolve chronic sinus problems and symptoms, including snoring.

"[Balloon sinuplasty] is a fantastic new technique, because what studies have shown is that it's as effective as traditional functional endoscopic sinus surgery," Ditto told the Williamsburg Sun. "So I can perform a procedure for a patient and improve their recurrent sinusitis by using a minimally invasive technique to improve them, instead of taking them to the operating room under general anesthesia and performing a sinus bone and membrane destruction procedure. Here I’m just opening things up, just allowing them to breathe."

According to Kaplan Sinus Relief, chronic sinus problems could be one cause of snoring. Short-term effects of snoring include fatigue during the day, headaches, chest pain and a sore throat in the morning.

Snoring happens when your body is unable to breathe properly through the nose while sleeping, which can happen when the sinuses are inflamed or infected. Breathing through your mouth causes the airways to narrow and the soft tissue in the throat to vibrate, which causes the snoring sound.

Drinking alcohol or taking other muscle-relaxing sedatives, certain hormones caused by pregnancy or being overweight can also contribute to snoring, according to Cleveland Clinic. Over time, snoring can lead to health problems, such as lower blood oxygen level, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and increased risk for heart attacks and strokes.

If your snoring is caused by sinus issues, Kaplan Sinus Relief suggests that having a balloon sinuplasty could be a lasting solution. At-home remedies could also be effective, such as sleeping on your side, sleeping with your head elevated or using nasal strips to open your sinuses. If none of these methods work, it could be worth looking into balloon sinuplasty.

The procedure typically lasts about 20 minutes, during which an ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician inserts a tiny balloon into your sinus cavity and inflates it, opening the sinuses to help you to breathe more easily. The procedure is minimally invasive, pain-free and is done in the office on an outpatient basis.

If you're interested in learning more about sinus and allergy symptoms, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.