Sinusitis

Acute sinusitis, is a temporary inflammation of the sinus lining that is caused by a bacterial infection and commonly called a sinus infection. However, if you experience symptoms for longer than 12 weeks after medical treatment you could have chronic sinusitis.

The Treatment of Chronic Sinusitis

If chronic sinusitis is suspected, your doctor most likely will refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) physician (an otolaryngology specialist). The ENT physician uses several methods to help screen for chronic sinusitis: visual inspection, nasal endoscopy, CT scan, or nasal and sinus cultures. After diagnosing chronic sinusitis and identifying a possible cause, your ENT will often begin with medical management.

 Medical management of chronic sinusitis may include:

                 Decongestants 
               Nasal steroids 
               Antibiotics
                        Mucus thinning drugs 
                        Oral steroids

Healthcare professionals often find it difficult to treat the majority of chronic sinusitis sufferers with medication. In fact, it is estimated that up to 60 percent of chronic sinusitis sufferers are not successfully treated with medication.¹  Patients who do not respond well to medications become candidates for conventional sinus surgery, which is known as functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS).

Since the 1980s, FESS has been the standard of care for sinus surgery. FESS aims to clear blocked sinuses and restore normal sinus drainage by removing bone and tissue to enlarge the sinus opening, which may lead to pain, scarring and bleeding.

However, conventional sinus surgery no longer has to be the only option for chronic sinusitis patients who are not responding well to medications. Balloon Sinuplasty™ is a breakthrough procedure that relieves the pain and pressure associated with chronic sinusitis.

1 Hamilos, D. Chronic sinusitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2000; 106: 213‐227; Stankiewicz, J., et al,. Cost Analysis in the Diagnosis of Chronic Rhinosinusitis. Am J Rhinol 2003;17(3): 139‐142; Subramanian, H., et al. A Retrospective Analysis of Treatment Outcomes and Time to Relapse after Intensive Medical Treatment for Chronic Sinusitis. Am J Rhinol 2002; 16(6): 303‐312; Hessler, J., et al. Clinical outcomes of chronic rhinosinusitis in response to medical therapy: Results of a prospective study. Am J Rhinol 2007; 21(1): 10‐18; Lal, D., et al. Efficacy of targeted medical therapy in chronic rhinosinusitis, and predictors of failure. Am J Rhinol Allergy 23, 396‐400, 2009.