Richmond Leader

• Millions of Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis every year.

• Symptoms of sinusitis include congestion, nasal discharge, facial pain, fever, headaches and toothaches.

• If left untreated, sinusitis can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.  

Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers tells his patients that treating sinusitis early can stop other, more severe health conditions from developing.

"The earlier that we can arrest the progression of chronic sinusitis, then we can decrease some of the long-term complications, including formation of polyps and significant chronic disease," Ditto told the Richmond Leader. "We recommend early management versus waiting until the situation is severe. That may mean that there may be minimal findings on CT scan, but significant, and addressing it at that time so that it doesn't progress. It's very important to get at it early."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million Americans, or 11% of the adult population. Chronic sinusitis is also responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

People who suffer from sinusitis might experience congestion, facial pain, headaches, toothaches, nasal drainage, a reduced ability to smell, fever and bad breath, according to Scotland's National Health Service. If you do, and your symptoms don't improve after more than a week, then it's time to seek professional help.

An ENT specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, and if those don't work, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If other treatments don't work, the specialist may then recommend sinus surgery.

Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes if left untreated, according to Next Avenue.

To solve the problem, more doctors are offering balloon sinuplasty, an outpatient procedure that takes only 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities almost immediately, although they may experience swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

For more information about symptoms of allergies and sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.