Helping Manage Your Sinusitis

Sinusitis can make it difficult to get through your day. Constant sinus pressure and pain can dramatically affect your life. Fortunately, your ear, nose, and throat specialist can help you manage your sinusitis. Your ENT specialist has several effective treatments to help relieve sinusitis, so you can feel better.

What You Need To Know About Sinusitis

Occasional stuffiness, congestion, and sinus pressure are normal, and will usually go away with a little TLC. If you are experiencing sinusitis signs and symptoms more often, you need to visit your ENT specialist. You should visit your ENT specialist if you are experiencing frequent:

• Sneezing or coughing
• Pressure and pain behind or around your eyes
• High fever or headaches
• Nasal passage irritation and discomfort
• Stuffy nose and difficulty breathing through your nose
• Yellow or green discharge coming from your nose

You can develop sinusitis from a fungus, bacteria, or from allergies. These are a few helpful tips to manage your sinusitis. You can try:

• Irrigating your sinuses with saline solution to clear out nasal passages
• Placing a humidifier in your bedroom to soothe your sinuses
• Taking over-the-counter oral decongestants or mucus-thinning medications
• Using decongestant nasal sprays to reduce swelling and congestion

For moderate to severe sinusitis signs and symptoms, it’s best to visit your ENT specialist for help. Your ENT specialist may begin with:

• Allergy testing and treatment if your sinusitis is allergy related
• Prescription-strength antihistamines or decongestants to reduce symptoms
• Antibiotics if your sinusitis is due to an infection
• Oral or nasal corticosteroids to reduce swelling and inflammation

For chronic sinusitis, your ENT specialist may recommend surgical treatment including balloon sinuplasty, which uses a thin tube with a balloon attached to one end. The tube is inserted into your nostril and up into your sinuses. When the tube enters a blockage, the balloon is inflated, clearing out the blockage. The balloon is deflated, and the tubing is removed.

Want To Know More?

To learn more about managing sinusitis, balloon sinuplasty, and how your ENT can help you breathe better, call your ENT specialist today.