Richmond Leader

• Many people may not realize that chronic sinusitis can also affect their mental health.
• Studies have found that people who have chronic sinusitis are at an increased risk for depression and anxiety.
• Balloon sinuplasty is a quick, minimally invasive surgery that can treat chronic sinusitis.

Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says that people who suffer from chronic sinusitis could find that it has a negative effect on their mental health.

"I've had patients who come in who have been depressed," Ditto told the Richmond Leader. "It's more of a secondary depression, where they have this disorder and it's causing them to feel bad because they can't do anything about it. Once we give them a solution and treat them, they feel better about life."

Studies have found that people with chronic sinusitis could also be more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, according to Physician's Weekly. One study compared a group of 16,224 people who were treated for chronic sinusitis with a group of 32,448 "similar people" who did not have sinus problems. The study found that over the next 11 years, the sinusitis sufferers were more than 50% more likely to develop depression or anxiety.

Physical symptoms of chronic sinusitis can include nasal inflammation, a runny nose, postnasal drainage, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore throat, bad breath or fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic.

One surgical treatment option for chronic sinusitis sufferers is balloon sinuplasty. A balloon sinuplasty procedure takes only 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities during that time period, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.