There is mounting evidence that untreated chronic sinusitis increases a patient's risk for stroke. | PxHere.com
There is mounting evidence that untreated chronic sinusitis increases a patient's risk for stroke. | PxHere.com
• 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 a person's risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.
Millions of Americans suffer from chronic sinus issues every year, but Dr. Nicholas Hollenkamp of Indianapolis Sinus Center says letting sinus issues go untreated could lead to bigger health problems down the road.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 11% of the adult population in the U.S. suffers from chronic sinusitis. Those issues have also lead to 230,000 emergency room visits and 4.1 million doctor appointments each year.
"Whenever you have a generalized inflammatory state, which chronic sinusitis is, I think that creates other problems like headaches and pains and pressure, but also things you would never expect, like stroke risk and other things like that," Hollenkamp told Columbus Standard. "Then when it affects your airway that badly, it affects your sleep tremendously. It ties into a lot of different things."
Some symptoms of sinusitis include congestion, facial pain, headaches, toothaches and nasal drainage, according to National Health Service of Scotland. If symptoms don't improve for more than a week, people are encouraged to see a physician. Treatment options could include a saline solution or over-the-counter medication. If that doesn't help, try an antibiotic or corticosteroid spray. If symptoms still don't improve, sinus surgery may be the next treatment option.
Next Avenue reported that untreated sinusitis inflammation can lead to an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
Balloon sinuplasty is a surgical treatment option for chronic sinus issues. The procedure only lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, and recovery time for patients is about one to two days, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center. Most patients can get back to their normal daily activities once they have recovered, but some people may have swelling for about a week.
If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of allergies and sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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