Research has shown that untreated sinusitis, because of inflammation, can actually lead to serious health conditions like strokes or heart disease. | Pixabay/Artistic Operations
Research has shown that untreated sinusitis, because of inflammation, can actually lead to serious health conditions like strokes or heart disease. | Pixabay/Artistic Operations
• 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. Robert Weiss of CT ENT Sinus Center says inflammation from chronic sinusitis can lead to serious health problems, such as strokes and heart disease, simply due to inflammation.
"It comes down to chronic inflammation, anywhere in the body, is not good," Weiss told the SC Connecticut News. "It's not good for your heart, it's not good for your blood vessels. Inflammation begets inflammation, so it can lead to some of those sorts of unpleasant and life-threatening situations."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million Americans, or 11% of the adult population. Chronic sinusitis is also responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.
People who suffer 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. If you do, and your symptoms don't improve after more than a week, then it's time to seek professional help.
An ENT specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, and if those don't work, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If other treatments don't work, the specialist may then recommend sinus surgery.
Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes if left untreated, according to Next Avenue.
To solve the problem, more doctors are offering balloon sinuplasty, an outpatient procedure that lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities almost immediately, although they may experience swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.
For more information about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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