We Can Help Put a Stop to Sinusitis

Breathing starts with air being taken in by your nose and mouth through the trachea (windpipe) into your lungs, and as the air comes in, it’s your sinuses that moisturize and filter out the debris that comes with it. Collectively known as your paranasal sinuses, these hollow areas in your head help carry mucus and help prevent contaminants.

Problems like sinus infections (also called sinusitis) cause many unpleasant symptoms in this area that can make your life miserable for as long as the illness lasts. To help you manage the problems that come with this illness, let’s examine why sinusitis happens, what common symptoms accompany it, and what we can do to relieve the problem.

Drs. Wade Han, Elvira Livigni, De Armas, and the experienced medical team at Florida Ear Nose Throat & Facial Plastic Surgery Center help the residents of Kissimmee and Orlando, Florida, with a range of ENT conditions, including sinusitis.

Common reasons for sinusitis

This inflammation of the sinus tissue lining is often due to problems with viral or bacterial infections, but several factors can lead to this condition:

Upper respiratory infections

This is the broad term for the many types of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections that can cause sinus problems, including the common cold, influenza (the flu), Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.

Allergies

A reaction caused by your body rejecting harmless allergens like pollen, animal dander, mold, and a wide variety of substances, with symptoms similar to upper respiratory illnesses. Seasonal allergies are a common cause of sinusitis.

Other risk factors for this nasal problem include having asthma, a deviated septum, nasal polyps, a weakened immune system, and smoking.

Symptoms to look for

If you’ve had problems with colds or flu in the past, you’ve experienced the signs of sinusitis, which include postnasal drip, stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, sinus pressure, headaches, facial pressure, coughing, fatigue, fever, a bad taste in your mouth, or bad breath. Chronic sinusitis is more likely to be caused by inflammation than by infection.

When children deal with this, it can also cause a high fever, discolored mucus, a lingering cough, and symptoms that persist for up to two weeks. They can also have allergy symptoms that are resistant to medication.

Ways we can help

Managing your symptoms depends on whether you have acute or chronic sinusitis and on the underlying reasons you’re dealing with it. We offer several methods to address these issues, such as nasal sprays, nasal irrigation, and pain relievers. 

Allergy testing can confirm what allergens are causing problems, in which case allergy medications or immunotherapy can help. Balloon sinuplasty can ease symptoms by inserting a tube into your nose with a deflated balloon that is inflated inside and clears out obstructions in your sinuses.

Sinusitis can make your life frustrating, but you don’t have to live with it. Make an appointment with Drs. Han, Livigni De Armas, and the Florida Ear, Nose, Throat & Facial Plastic Surgery Center today to breathe easier.