West Florida News

Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is offering help to patients who are suffering with a range of breathing issues, including inflammation of the sinuses.

Nasal inflammation is a swelling of the tissue that lines the sinuses. Also known as sinusitis, this ailment blocks the air passageways, causing mucus to increase and potentially cause an infection. This type of ailment is very common and can be caused by something as simple as the common cold. Allergic rhinitis, or the swelling of the lining of the nose, can also be a precursor of nasal inflammation. A deviated septum or a shift in the nasal cavity is another way that this agitation can begin.

Dr. Matthew Blair, a board-certified otolaryngologist at Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, points out that each patient’s sino-nasal disease is different. 

Dr. Matthew Blair | Gulf Coast Breathe Free

“Some people have found nasal disease caused by an anatomic problem, like they've got certain anomalies in their sinuses that don't allow them to ventilate, and those patients are a good candidate for balloon sinuplasty,” Blair told West Florida News. “In some instances, there are patients who have chronic allergies and have swelling that's blocking the opening of the sinuses.”

Blair noted that a minimally invasive treatment, such as balloon sinuplasty, can be done in the office, which is good news for patients.

It turns out that inflammation of the sinuses impacts millions. According to the American Sinus Institute, each year an estimated 37 million Americans suffer from an episode of acute nasal inflammation, which can include narrow drainage ducts, nasal mucous membrane swelling, nasal polyps or blocked drainage ducts.

The American Sinus Institute also detailed four specific types of inflammation of the sinuses. Acute inflammation comes on suddenly and lasts less than four weeks. Sub-acute inflammation can last up to eight weeks. Chronic inflammation lasts eight weeks or longer. And recurrent inflammation includes a number of repeated attacks over the course of a year.

Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers offers a sinus quiz for people to evaluate their symptoms and see if they might benefit from a visit to the doctor.