Pensacola Times

For patients looking to relieve severe symptoms of sinusitis, sinus surgery -- including balloon sinuplasty and endoscopy -- offers a potential solution for headaches from allergies and other nasal issues.

According to WebMD, the main goals of sinus surgery are to alleviate symptoms, including breathing trouble and headaches, and to cut down on the number of infections a patient encounters. When infections become chronic, there is likely an issue in the nasal cavity that can be addressed by sinus surgery.

Dr. Matthew Blair of the Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers said the process of balloon sinuplasty has been improved over the last 10 years, allowing doctors to insert a small catheter into the natural opening of the sinus and dilate the sinus by inflating the balloon. 

“What that does is it permanently opens the sinuses so we can get treatment into the sinus,” Blair told the Pensacola Times.

The whole process takes about one minute per each sinus, according to Blair.

“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, such as nasal polyps,” he added. “The recovery is very, very favorable for the patient compared to traditional sinus surgery. And most people will benefit from it to the point where they won't need a second procedure.”

Endoscopy, another option for sinus surgery, involves the insertion of thin instruments called endoscopes into the nose, along with a camera, as the doctor removes polyps and scar tissues from the sinuses, according to WebMD. If nothing needs to be removed, a patient may be eligible for a balloon sinuplasty procedure.

By undergoing sinus surgery, patients will be able to breathe more easily through their nose and may find that it solves any chronic congestion that may have previously affected their sense of smell or taste.

Prospective patients may evaluate their symptoms with the Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.