SE Dallas News

• Millions of Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis every year.

• Symptoms of sinusitis include congestion, nasal discharge, facial pain, fever, headaches and toothaches.

• If left untreated, sinusitis can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.  

Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says the side effects of untreated chronic sinusitis can cause serious health problems, such as strokes.

One surgical treatment option for chronic sinusitis sufferers is balloon sinuplasty. A balloon sinuplasty procedure lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities during that time, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

“One of the things I’ve noticed with treating patients over time is that, with some things, there's a direct correlation,” Trimble told SE Dallas News. “But there are things that are more distant, like sleep, cognitive ability, as far as how sharp you are when you wake up in the morning. If you're breathing poorly at night, if you're developing sleep apnea, and there's increased stress over time. One thing we know for a fact is that people with obstructive sleep apnea have higher blood pressure. I've seen patients that haven't been diagnosed with sleep apnea who, after their sinuses procedures, have experienced lower blood pressure. We know that breathing issues at night can cause hypertension. Untreated hypertension, most certainly, increases the risk of stroke, so maybe that's the best kind of pathway to get from chronic rhinosinusitis to something like stroke.”

Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic sinusitis is responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits.

People suffering from sinusitis might experience congestion, facial pain, headaches, toothaches, nasal drainage, a reduced ability to smell, fever and bad breath, according to Scotland's National Health Service. People experiencing symptoms that aren't improving for more than a week should see a physician.

An ENT specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, and if those don't help symptoms improve, a doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If those treatments do not resolve the sinusitis symptoms, the specialist might recommend a sinus surgery.

Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which, if left untreated, can cause an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, according to Next Avenue. 

If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.