When the eight sinuses, which are equally spread around the right and left sides of the nose, continue to function properly, they moisten the inhaled air and filter germs and bacteria before reaching the lungs. Because of the sinuses that cannot filter them, the person gets sick and starts to show various symptoms.
It affects daily life and even puts your life at risk if it progresses. It is predicted that untreated sinusitis will cause an inflammation that will spread to the eye and brain and cause loss of function here. Although these are unlikely, sinusitis should be seen as a disease that should not be neglected. While breathing, particles and dust floating in the air are also carried and try to enter the body. That’s why it’s important to have healthy sinuses. Infected sinuses cannot function properly and cause the person to experience some problems. Allergens can also interfere with the functioning of the sinuses.
Blows to the nose or congenital curvatures, dental treatments, respiratory tract infections, tumors or other disorders can also be shown as causes of sinusitis. Sinusitis, which has sufficient ground in temperature changes, may occur. Although studies are continuing on this subject, it is among the possibilities that chronic sinusitis may lead to sleep apnea in the long term. While some sinusitis can be treated with medication, some require surgical intervention. Sinusitis surgery with balloon is also one of the options.
Types of Sinusitis
It is possible to divide sinusitis into types within itself. It can be handled in several parts according to its duration, age, inflamed area or causative factor. Acute sinusitis, which is one of the sinusitis according to its duration, starts suddenly and it takes four weeks for the symptoms to fade.
Subacute sinusitis may take longer than that. Moreover, it is quite late to see the effect of the treatment. If this treatment does not cause any improvement within eight or twelve weeks, this indicates that the sinusitis is now chronic. If sinusitis occurs four or more times a year, then it is necessary to talk about recurrent sinusitis.
Sinusitis, which varies according to age, can be divided into children and adults. This is because the sinuses in children are less developed. In addition, problems arising from adenoids are often experienced. Because the adenoids disappear after the age of sixteen, such problems may not be seen in adults. It is possible to examine sinusitis according to the inflamed area. While defining maxillary sinusitis on the cheek, it is called ethmoid sinusitis because it is seen in the sinuses between the eyes.
Sphenoid sinusitis located in the middle of the head and frontal sinusitis in the forehead are other types of regional sinusitis. Pansinusitis is the definition used when all areas are inflamed. Balloon sinusitis surgery contributes to a high success rate in the treatment of frontal sinusitis. Two things come to mind in sinusitis, which is classified according to the causative agent of the disease: is it bacterial or fungal? Because if the necessary treatment is not applied in fungal-induced sinusitis, it can insidiously cause years of trouble. Especially when people who travel to different regions give this detail during the examination, it will facilitate the diagnosis.
In addition to all these, there are types of sinusitis that can be associated with other diseases. Odontogenic sinusitis is one of them. In the diagnosis of this inflammation that may occur after any dental treatment, informing your doctor about the procedures that have been applied in the mouth recently saves time in making the diagnosis.
Allergic sinusitis also falls into this group. In genetic sinusitis, it is seen that the diagnosis is made in childhood and it is not possible to treat it. In addition, the expression of sinusitis with polyps is used for sinusitis whose cause has not been determined.
Sinusitis Symptoms and Treatment Options
A runny nose is one of the most obvious symptoms. However, it should be noted that these are extreme currents of up to ten days. Nasal discharge is another cause. In addition, headaches are common. This pain spreads to various parts of the face according to the inflamed area, causing wider pain. Fever may be seen. In the following days, cough, inability to smell and a feeling of fullness in the ears may occur.
Congestion in the nose can also cause interrupted sleep at night and snoring. Bad breath and swelling around the eyes may also be among the symptoms. Even if some or all of these symptoms are seen, it may not be correct to diagnose sinusitis yourself. You should definitely make an appointment with a specialist to diagnose and apply the appropriate treatment for your condition. Even if your diagnosis is correct, it may not be possible to determine the causative agent and choose the right treatment.
If the cause is bacterial, your doctor will likely treat you with antibiotics. However, if you are allergic, you need to use different drugs for this. In viral cases, since there will be no fever, much lighter drugs will probably be prescribed. Because symptoms as severe as bacterial sinusitis will not be in question.
On the other hand, in sinusitis caused by structural problems of the nose, if the recommended treatments for more than twelve weeks have not worked, and if there is a polyp, then surgical intervention is mentioned. This will require a facial incision to enter the sinuses. If balloon sinusitis surgery is preferred, a balloon is used to open the narrow sinus channels. This reduces the risk of surgery and shortens the healing process.
Advantages of Sinusitis Surgery with Balloon
Although this method, called balloon sinoplasty, is quite new, it is often preferred because it carries little risk and offers the opportunity to return to daily life quickly. As an idea, the purpose of the procedure is to provide a more natural expansion thanks to the balloon placed in the narrow sinus channels.
It is one of the recommended methods as the patient can return to his normal life in one day. With the help of a wire, three sinuses are entered, called the great. Since the balloon catheter is wrapped around the wire, it is easy to advance to the target area. This narrow channel gradually widens thanks to the inflated balloon when it reaches the area. The balloon provides this by applying pressure in the area. By washing the area, the patient is given the opportunity to live with healthy sinuses for a long time.
The patient’s complaints will go away, as the sinus that gets rid of the obstruction will work in a healthy way. This method can be preferred in many types of sinusitis. Some sinusitis may be resistant. In such cases, the operation is performed with medicated balloons and more efficiency is obtained from the operation. However, the traditional surgical method is still recommended for ethmoid sinusitis originating from polyps or affecting the eye area.
On the other hand, balloon sinusitis surgery, which is planned to be performed to the extent possible, is also a good option for patients with a high probability of experiencing anaesthesia, as it can be performed under local anesthesia if desired. It should be said that because of the equipment used, the tissue damage in the area is much less than other surgical methods, so the healing is seen quickly and to a large extent.
Although it is predicted that the expanded channels will maintain their function for a long period of time, such as two years, if this method does not work, it does not constitute an obstacle to the application of other methods later on. Therefore, it is clear that there is no harm in choosing this method first, as it is less risky and provides a high degree of success.
Bleeding will be less, and the possibility of bruising under the eyes or around the nose is low. Although it is the method of least concern for complications, it is stated by doctors that its main effect will be seen more clearly in the future, since it is a new method.
