Sinus Relief – Sinusitis Treatment Options

If you have felt nasal congestion and stuffiness, you have sinus problems. The sinuses are tiny air-filled chambers that provide ventilation and condition the air we inhale.

When these chambers become inflamed, any mucus cannot drain naturally – leading to buildup. When bacteria, a virus or fungi are also present, a sinus infection occurs. That’s why sinus infections are common after a cold.

We refer to this inflammation as sinusitis, and it affects tissue lining the sinuses. Treatment will be based on the type of sinusitis you have:

• Acute sinusitis is the sudden onset of inflammation and/or infection after a cold or allergic rhinitis. Treatments include decongestants, antihistamines, antibiotics for bacterial infections, and antifungal medication for fungal infections.
• Chronic sinusitis tends to persist despite the use of decongestants and antihistamines. Nasal sprays or steroid pills may help reduce the inflammation. If these don’t work, surgical sinus treatment options include balloon sinuplasty, nasal polypectomy, turbinoplasty or septoplasty.

Getting a Diagnosis

Your ENT doctor will first examine you and ask questions about your health history to determine the root cause of your sinusitis. Often, the cause is an allergy, cold, polyps or a congenital defect. Your treatment will be determined by this diagnosis.

If you have sinus infection symptoms, you will be started on decongestants and antibiotics. With acute sinusitis treatment, symptoms tend to go away soon after treatment is started.

Chronic sinusitis is more problematic, and may require follow-up treatments or even surgery. If you have a physical obstruction in your sinuses, the obstruction can be removed in surgery.

In either case, the surgeon will explain to you the pros and cons of each sinusitis treatment and help you understand the possible outcome for each option.

Sinusitis treatment recovery also varies, as once you start treatment you will need to come in for observation to determine if your sinusitis is going away or whether it is persistent. This will determine the next steps taken in your treatment.

Contact our office:

To find out more about our Sinus Relief Options service, visit Dr. Schneiderman’s office located at 215 Union Avenue – Suite C, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, or book an appointment by calling us at (908) 725-5050.