Find yourself with a stuffy nose again? An occasional sinus infection is fairly normal, but if you’re suffering from constant congestion and chronic sinus infections, there may be a more systemic problem. Here are the three signs that your sinus doctor in Amherst will need to prescribe surgery.
Deviated Septum
When the thin wall separating the two nostrils is displaced to one side, it can severely reduce airflow and restrict breathing. Not only will you experience difficulty breathing through one nostril, but you might also notice facial pain, nosebleeds, and frequent infections. Others find that they usually sleep on one side or the other at night or else they can’t breathe.
Sinus doctors in Amherst sometimes prescribe medications or nasal dilators to treat a mild deviated septum, but usually surgery is necessary.
Nasal Polyps
Nasal polyps are soft, non-cancerous growths that form on the lining of the nasal passages and sinuses as a result of chronic inflammation. Whether from asthma, allergies, frequent infections, or immune disorders, nasal polyps result in chronic sinusitis or rhinosinusitis. If you have a runny nose, congestion, postnasal drip, or loss of smell and taste for 12 weeks or more, you may have nasal polyps.
In that case, a sinus doctor in Amherst will need to perform a surgery known as an endoscopy to remove the growths.
Chronic Sinusitis
While chronic sinusitis may be a symptom related to nasal polyps or a deviated septum, it need not be. Millions of Americans suffer from sinusitis every year, and while antibiotics are usually effective, sometimes sinus doctors in Amherst choose to operate if the situation is particularly severe. A balloon sinuplasty is a non-invasive surgery designed to help open up the sinus passages making it possible for mucus to drain more normally.
Usually sinus doctors in Amherst don’t suggest surgery except as a last resort. However, today there are several non-invasive surgeries available to treat common sinus issues. If you’ve been suffering from congestion and facial pain for a couple of months, ask your local specialist whether surgery might be right for you
