Blocked sinuses can be painful and pressure-inducing. Sinuses are moist spaces within the skull bones that drain into nasal passages. If one of these spaces becomes blocked, pain and pressure ensue.
Your primary care doctor will refer you to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon if symptoms continue. Rinsing with salt water will help avoid sinus infections; to address allergies take steps like getting allergy shots or taking prescribed medications.
Symptoms
Sinusitis symptoms include stuffiness with drainage, pain over the cheek bones and forehead, reduced sense of smell and taste sensation and the feeling that there is an obstruction under the nose. If symptoms continue or recur for four weeks or more, seeking medical help for diagnosis and treatment should be pursued immediately. A clinical history review and physical exam should be used to identify structural problems such as deviated septum or polyps that could contribute to sinusitis; additionally a nasal endoscope will evaluate anatomy of sinuses using images; additionally an endoscopic view helps determine any structural issues such as deviated septum or polyps that could contribute to sinusitis; finally a sinus swab will identify any specific bacteria present; additionally the patient will also receive a sinus swab so as to ensure accurate results of diagnosis.
Sinuses are air-filled pockets near the nose passages that produce mucus to clean bacteria out of our air supply, filtering it with small openings called ostia that drain out through our noses. When these ostia become inflamed due to infection or pollution, this can block mucus drainage, leading to infection. An x-ray may be taken, however for optimal results a CT (also called CAT scan) scan is usually recommended; CTs use special type of x-ray that captures multiple angles to form 3D images of our bodies that allows medical staff to identify obstruction or unobstructedness within sinuses. CTs take pictures from different angles at once, creating 3D images of their sinuses which allows medical staff members to detect obstruction or unobstructedness of sinuses within them.
If your symptoms improve but then recur, consult with a physician as soon as possible for antibiotics or further evaluation with imaging tests or sinus exams. It could be that an infection was not completely cleared away but has come back due to underlying sinusitis issues that was never fully treated.
Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive technique that utilizes a flexible endoscope equipped with light to guide the insertion of a thin wire into a blocked sinus opening, followed by inflating of an inflatable balloon to gently dilate and restore normal drainage of sinuses. Usually performed in office settings without general anesthesia or hospitalization requirements, balloon sinuplasty restores proper sinus drainage without resorting to surgery or hospitalization.
Diagnosis
Sinusitis symptoms result from infection and inflammation of air-filled pockets in your face known as sinuses, where mucus drains off into an accumulation and becomes an ideal breeding ground for bacteria – leading to yellow or green-coloured discharge from your nose, persistent runniness, headache and facial pain. If symptoms persist for longer than 24 hours it’s important to visit an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist immediately.
Your healthcare provider will discuss your symptoms and perform a physical exam, using tools such as endoscopes to look inside of your nostrils. They may also suggest getting CT scans, which provide detailed images of nasal and sinus passages. Finally, they may take samples of fluid draining from sinuses with soft-tipped sticks to test for bacteria.
Most cases of sinusitis can be effectively managed using over-the-counter analgesics such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, topical nasal sprays of steroids like Fluticasone or Budesonide nasal spray, or saline rinses. If these treatments fail to improve symptoms, your physician may prescribe antibiotics. In case a complication arises that spreads into your brain or skull region, emergency care with broad spectrum antibiotics and CT scanning may be required immediately.
Balloon Sinuplasty is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that involves inserting a catheter into an affected sinus and inflating a balloon through it at its opening, opening narrow passageways and increasing drainage. Once complete, the balloon is deflated but left in place – most patients report feeling either pressure or numbness during the procedure but no pain from it.
Balloon sinuplasty surgery can usually be completed in the doctor’s office under local anesthesia and is an excellent way to treat chronic sinusitis; most medical insurance plans now recognize this treatment option. Balloon sinuplasty also offers lasting relief for painful or congested sinuses if traditional surgery cannot provide relief; University Otolaryngology Associates team of highly-trained surgeons have expertise in this innovative therapy that may be right for you!
Treatment
Your doctor can make a diagnosis from your symptoms alone, but may also use other diagnostic tools. These may include physical exam and nasal endoscopy – which uses an endoscope with light and camera at its tip to allow viewing the inside of your nose – as well as imaging studies such as CT scan to examine sinuses and nasal passages that may indicate blockage.
Balloon sinuplasty surgery is a minimally invasive solution to chronic or severe sinusitis that has not responded to other treatments, performed under local anesthesia at your ENT’s office and typically taking shorter than traditional surgery for recovery time and cutting/loss of nasal tissues/bone. It has become one of the most frequently performed sinus surgeries in America and boasts an extremely high success rate.
As part of a balloon sinuplasty procedure, first step involves numbing the area around your nose and sinuses. Your surgeon will then insert a catheter with a small balloon at its end through your nostrils into your sinuses under imaging guidance; slowly inflate this balloon under imaging guidance in order to reshape and widen your sinus openings without removing tissue or bones while decreasing inflammation while improving drainage and ventilation. When deflated and removed afterwards.
After your procedure has concluded, your doctor will flush your sinuses and nasal passages with saline rinse to flush out any debris caused by the procedure and initiate healing. If your sinuses were infected with infection, antibiotics will most likely be prescribed; take these as directed and complete all courses of treatment to ensure complete resolution of any infections that arise.
Some individuals may notice bloody nose drainage after having sinus surgery, which is usually unproblematic but could indicate serious infection. If this happens to you or if there are other signs of trouble after any procedure, consult your ENT immediately to determine the source.
Complications
Your sinuses produce mucus to lubricate the inside of your nose while protecting you against pollutants and bacteria entering the body, but when they become inflamed or infected they cannot drain properly, trapping mucus and air in their passageways and creating chronic sinusitis symptoms.
Your doctor can diagnose your condition by performing a comprehensive examination of your nose, head, and face. They will feel for tenderness in the sinuses before turning to imaging studies such as CT scans that provide detailed images of your nasal cavity that enable them to spot anomalies that would be difficult for physical exam alone to spot.
Chronic sinusitis treatment involves avoiding triggers for attacks, such as aspirin or acetaminophen (the painkiller in Aspirin). Antibiotics may help, though many don’t tolerate them well and find they worsen symptoms instead. If medications don’t provide relief, surgery could also provide an answer: sinus surgery offers one such solution.
Conventional sinus surgery typically requires cutting and removal of bone and tissue, but new technology has made the procedure less invasive. Now an ear, nose and throat surgeon (otolaryngologist) can perform balloon sinuplasty using local or general anesthesia in either a clinic or hospital procedure room with balloon sinuplasty catheters attached to wires with small balloons at their ends inserted through sinus passageways into their cavities before inflating to widen openings for wider sinus passageways before an irrigation catheter can be added for cleaning with saline solution washover of these areas afterwards.
Balloon sinuplasty typically takes about 73 minutes and most patients experience immediate relief of sinusitis symptoms following the procedure. Most will continue to enjoy relief for up to two years after surgery; however, some individuals may require additional treatments after they recur. If your sinus problems don’t respond to medications, ask an ear, nose and throat specialist about balloon sinuplasty for relief and to enhance quality of life.
