East Panhandle News

A procedure called balloon sinuplasty can offer permanent relief for many sinus sufferers, says Dr. Matthew Blair of Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers in Pensacola.

“We insert a small catheter into the natural opening of the of the sinus -- of which we have six sinuses -- then insert the balloon into the opening of the sinuses and dilate that balloon,” Blair told the East Panhandle News. “Then we deflate the balloon.”

The procedure takes less than a minute for each sinus, Blair explained.

“It permanently opens the sinuses so we can get treatment into the sinus,” he said. “The sinus is then prevented from being blocked from whatever the cause may be, whether it is anatomic or an inflammatory cause from a condition the patient might have that they cannot control, like nasal polyps, for instance.”

Recovering from a balloon sinuplasty procedure is much easier than recovering from traditional sinus surgery, Blair explained.

“And most people will benefit from it, to the point where they won't need a second procedure,” he said. “It's called 'smart sinus surgery' because it's very tailored to a specific sinus or all the sinuses that you need.”

When sinuses are swollen and inflamed for three months or longer, this is a condition defined as chronic sinusitis, according to Mayo Clinic.

“Chronic sinusitis can be brought on by an infection, by growths in the sinuses (nasal polyps) or by swelling of the lining of your sinuses,” Mayo Clinic said. Symptoms can include ear pain, headaches and aching in the upper jaw or teeth. If patients have chronic sinusitis, they may want to consider learning more about balloon sinus dilation.

According to Health eNews, 30 million people are diagnosed with sinusitis ever year. Research published in the American Journal of Rhinology found that 91% of patients who've had a balloon sinus procedure would do so again, but only 49% of functional endoscopic sinus surgery patients would have the procedure  again.