South Palm Beach Today

• People suffering from sinusitis should see an ENT specialist to help improve their quality of life.
• Untreated sinusitis can lead to the patient's personal and work life being affected.
• There are minimally invasive treatment options available, such as a balloon sinuplasty procedure.

Dr. Cody Aull of West Palm Beach Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says patients who visit a sinus center may have the option of a minimally invasive balloon sinuplasty procedure that can significantly improve their quality of life.

"Balloon sinuplasty is targeted for patients with mild to moderate symptoms," Aull told South Palm Beach Today. "It can be used even for patients with severe sinus problems, depending on what it looks like once we evaluate it. Most people with severe sinus problems have already undergone an aggressive surgery, because those have been around for a while now. If that needs to be done, we can still do those things in such a way that you wouldn't even necessarily notice that it was more aggressive."

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common chronic medical conditions among Americans, according to the Official Journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and it is proven to negatively impact the patient's quality of life. Early intervention for a sinus patient not only increases their immediate quality of life, but also improves long-term relief and reduces health care costs. However, sinusitis often goes largely untreated.

The Indian Journal of Otolaryngology conducted a study comparing patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) with patients who opted for a balloon sinuplasty to treat chronic sinusitis and found that, although both procedures are effective, balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotic treatments after their procedures. FESS also involves removing sinus tissue, while balloon sinuplasty is "less traumatic" because it doesn't involve removing tissue, instead relying only on dilation.

Many patients who undergo a minimally invasive surgery also find that their sleep quality improves after their procedure, according to Atlanta ENT Sinus & Allergy Associates. A study of more than 500 patients who underwent sinus surgery found significant improvement in the patients' sleep quality and overall quality of life.

A balloon sinuplasty procedure takes only 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities during that time period, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

"This procedure is out there for the huge number of people who are not receiving the optimal treatment because they don't want to deal with the little nagging problem that they constantly have, because they know it's going to be a giant hassle," Aull said. "So we’re saying, ‘Hey, it's not going to be a giant hassle for you. Come, let's take the time to figure out exactly what it is. We’ll come up with a game plan, fix it and you can have a better quality of life.’"

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.