Facial pain, frequent headaches, deteriorated smell or taste, and unrelenting nasal congestion are signs of chronic sinusitis that affect your sinus cavities and nasal passages with inflammation. Allowing this problem to linger can increase physical discomfort and emotional turmoil. Your daily life will be severely impacted. The only solution for this can be surgery. The onset of acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis can be of different length. If you opt for treatment under the right ENT specialist or otolaryngologist, you can expect your diagnosis and surgery to be helpful. Let’s delve into what it takes from a doctor to make it a success.
- Diagnosis
You can learn extensively about sinusitis at https://drkhliment.com.sg/sinus-specialist-singapore-sinusitis-surgery-treatment/. Chronic sinus infections can linger for 12 weeks or more, causing pain in the face, shallow breathing, nasal blockage, smell impairment, and other discomforts. Patients can feel irritated and exhausted, with their cognitive functions taking a hit. A trained surgeon advises a thorough examination of the condition to identify the suitable treatment. They will ask you about your medical records, details about symptoms, and trigger points. After this, you can be guided to physical examinations, such as nasal endoscopy, to review the condition of the sinus openings and nasal passages. The process helps reveal abnormalities or inflammation. Sometimes, even a CT scan can be recommended for a deeper analysis. The images can help detect structural problems, degree of inflammation, and nasal polyps.
- Treatment
When the test results establish the case of chronic sinusitis, they suggest surgery as the most effective solution. However, this comes into play if you suffer a sinus infection over four times a year, each exceeding twelve weeks. Surgery can be of two types: balloon sinuplasty and functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). Balloon sinuplasty is less invasive and includes using a balloon that helps drain the nasal blocks. Another option involves widening the passage in the nose and sinuses to eliminate any obstruction, such as nasal polyps, infected tissue, and bone. Balloon sinuplasty can tackle various sinus-related ailments, but severe diseases require FESS.
- After-care
Post-surgery care is equally significant when it comes to the treatment’s success. Surgeons can ask you to avoid spitting and use tissue to wipe saliva. Smoking will not be allowed. It would help if you protected the surgical area by not touching it. For two weeks, you may not be permitted to blow your nose. During sneezing or coughing, you will have to keep your mouth open. Anyone with sleep apnea can be recommended to use CPAP. Like in the case of any surgery, minor bleeding can occur.
Although it stops within an hour or two of the surgery, bleeding can continue in some cases for several hours or a few days. As a prevention, sleep with your head high. At the surgical site, you can place gauze for half an hour or a little more. Remove the dirty one and use another. When this doesn’t help, you can contact your ENT specialist and surgeon for guidance. Taking medications in the prescribed amount on time is necessary. Surgeons can also recommend antihistamines, nasal sprays, and decongestants.
According to sinus specialists, correct diagnosis, surgery, and post-op care are the three things that increase the success rate of chronic sinusitis treatment.