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SINUSITIS MANN ENT See Dr. Spector of the Mann ENT Clinic discuss sinus surgery on ABC News |
Sinusitis ("sine-you-site-iss") is inflammation affecting the air filled spaces of the skull, known as sinuses. The cause of the inflammation can be variable, and may include bacterial, viral or fungal infections. Even allergy may contribute to recurrent sinus problems. Sinusitis affects approximately 37 million people each year in the United States alone. Symptoms of a sinus infection include:
Treatment of episodic sinus infections usually involves nasal sprays, decongestants, antihistamines and antibiotics. When symptoms occur more than 4 times per year, or persist for more than 12 weeks, a referral to an ENT specialist is in order. During a visit to Drs. Mann, Jones or Spector, a full medical history will be obtained, and the symptoms prompting the visit will be discussed. After a full head and neck exam is performed, imaging studies such as a CT scan of the sinuses and an allergy test are often considered. Sinusitis that does not respond to medical management will often improve with immunotherapy (allergy shots or allergy drops) or possibly endoscopic sinus surgery. With these techniques, patients suffering from sinus disease have a real opportunity to improve their quality of life when regular medical therapy has failed.
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