Doctors say studies have found a link between chronic sinus issues and increased risk for depression. | StockSnap/Pixabay
Doctors say studies have found a link between chronic sinus issues and increased risk for depression. | StockSnap/Pixabay
• Many people may not realize that chronic sinusitis can also affect their mental health.
• Studies have found that people who have chronic sinusitis are at an increased risk for depression and anxiety.
• Balloon sinuplasty is a quick, minimally invasive surgery that can treat chronic sinusitis.
People who suffer from chronic sinusitis are at an increased risk of experiencing anxiety and depression, according to Dr. Robert Weiss of CT ENT Sinus Center.
"There's certainly a lot in the literature about the connection between depression -- and just mental health in general -- and having a chronic sinus problems or recurrent allergies that are significant,” Weiss told SC Connecticut News. “And it makes sense, because if I get a bad cold or a sinus infection -- I don't get them too often -- it affects your mood and your ability to work sometimes, or you don't want to be around people."
According to Physician's Weekly, studies have found that people with chronic sinusitis can be more likely to fall into a depression or suffer from anxiety. The website noted that a study looked at 16,224 people treated for chronic sinusitis and then compared them to a group of 32,448 similar people without sinus issues, and it tracked them for 11 years, finding that the people suffering from sinus issues were more than 50% more likely to also suffer from depression or anxiety.
Mayo Clinic says that symptoms can include a runny nose, postnasal drainage, nasal inflammation, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore throat, bad breath or fatigue.
There is a surgical option that can provide some relief: balloon sinuplasty. Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center says that the procedure only takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and most patients usually recover withing a day or two. They can resume normal activities during that time, though they could experience minor swelling for up to a week.
To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
Alerts Sign-up