If you have sinusitis that comes on suddenly, you can often get relief from antibiotic medications. Sinusitis is considered a chronic condition when it lasts 12 weeks or more. Chronic sinusitis can make you feel miserable. Battling daily with severe congestion, sinus pain, reduced sense of smell, and pressure around your sinuses can negatively affect your quality of life.
Take the first step toward relief from your symptoms by visiting an otolaryngologist. This specialist diagnoses and treats conditions of the ear, nose, and throat. Find out how appropriate treatment can help you manage your chronic sinusitis and bring you much needed relief.
What is chronic sinusitis?
At Southern ENT Associates, our experienced team can get to the bottom of your symptoms. To start, your doctor orders relevant tests, such as a CT scan, allergy test, and sinus cultures to make a formal diagnosis. The results help guide a treatment plan designed to address your symptoms and help you feel better.
In simple terms, sinusitis refers to inflammation of the sinuses. Infection and allergies are just two causes of sinusitis. Often with chronic sinusitis, an exact cause cannot be found. The goal of treatment is to reduce inflammation, restore proper sinus drainage, and relieve pain and other symptoms.
Eliminating the underlying cause
At Southern ENT Associates, our team works to determine the cause of your sinusitis. If we find a cause, we focus treatment on eliminating the cause. For instance, if we determine that allergies are the cause of your sinusitis, we work on a treatment plan that reduces your exposure to the allergen and manages pain and inflammation.
Nasal corticosteroids
Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormone that among other things help reduce inflammation and are used to decrease swelling. Nasal corticosteroids come in sprays and gels and can help relieve the swelling of your sinuses if you have chronic sinusitis. This treatment can help you breathe better and help reduce pain related to sinus inflammation.
Saline irrigation
Rinsing your sinuses with a saline solution several times a day can help wash away irritants and substances that may trigger allergies. The solution is gentle and can help clear your sinuses so they drain properly.
Self-care at home
Keeping your sinuses moisturized can help ease pain and improve sinus function. And if you limit your consumption of alcohol, you can improve sinus drainage. Alcohol worsens swelling in the lining of your sinuses.
Other dehydrating beverages, such as those that contain caffeine, can aggravate chronic sinusitis symptoms. When you have a sinusitis flare-up, drink plenty of fluids to help dilute your mucus secretions. Warm damp compresses helps ease facial pain around your nose, eyes, and cheeks.
Surgery
When medication and other conservative treatments fail to adequately control your sinusitis symptoms, you may be a candidate for surgery. The type of surgery depends on your unique situation. At Southern ENT Associates, we use a thin tube with a light attached to it called an endoscope to take a look at your sinuses.
Your surgeon may use various instruments to remove or shave away tissue that is blocking your nasal package. The doctor may also enlarge your sinus passages so they drain properly and to restore airflow.
Take control of your sinusitis symptoms. To learn more about chronic sinusitis treatment at Southern ENT Associates, call one of our convenient Louisiana clinics to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists, or request an appointment using our online form.