East Panhandle News

• One of the main triggers of sinusitis is allergies, and summer allergies are right around the corner.

• There are minimally invasive treatment options available to sinusitis sufferers.

• Dr. Matthew Blair and his team at Gulf Coast Breathe Free can help to nip your sinusitis and allergy issues in the bud before they cause you to cancel your summer plans.

Summer is quickly approaching, and it's almost time for traveling, backyard barbecues and, unfortunately for some, sinusitis and allergies. While your symptoms might put a damper on your plans, Dr. Matthew Blair of Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says his team can help.

"Nasal obstruction, chronic sinusitis or chronic allergies really affect one's quality of life," Blair told East Panhandle News. "If you have a poor outlook on life because you're always suffering from allergies or sinusitis, it's going to affect the rest of your general health. So if you can get your breathing and your nose in tiptop shape, you're going to feel better and want to do more things. You're going to overall improve your quality of health."

Spring allergies may be on the decline, as trees and flowers are largely finished blooming, but summer allergies caused by weeds and grasses are the next to worry about, according to WebMD. One of the most common triggers in the summer is ragweed, which not only affects the areas in which it grows, but it can travel hundreds of miles on the wind as well.

There are minimally invasive treatment options available, including balloon sinuplasty. A balloon sinuplasty is a simple, in-office procedure that only takes about an hour, according to sinussurgeryoptions.com. The prep takes about 30 minutes and uses a local anesthetic, which is applied to the nose for comfort. A thin instrument with a balloon attached is then guided through the sinus cavity, and then the balloon is inflated for five seconds with saline, and with the sinuses open, the balloon is removed.

Blair and his team at Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers can help to treat your sinus issues before they dampen your plans this summer. The clinic offers balloon sinuplasty and other other sinus, allergy and ear, nose and throat (ENT) treatments. Gulf Coast Breathe Free's mission is "to provide their patients with safe, effective, and affordable sinus and allergy health solutions." The clinic offers minimally invasive solutions as proof of their commitment to restoring their patients' quality of life.

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