There's mounting evidence that chronic sinusitis increases the risk for stroke. | Pixabay/Artistic Operations
There's mounting evidence that chronic sinusitis increases the risk for stroke. | Pixabay/Artistic Operations
May is Stroke Awareness Month, and scientists now believe there could be a link between strokes and chronic sinusitis.
In 2005, a prospective cohort study published in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy said that both acute and chronic sinusitis are risk markers for stroke, and that they are completely different from the usual causes of strokes.
“I find that in certain conditions, early intervention is key because once you go down a road where you have had chronic infections for a long period of time, you can actually impede the sinusitis signs permanently," Dr. Matthew Blair of Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told West Florida News. "Early intervention is definitely better than waiting, and I find that people who act quickly usually have better outcomes than people who wait.”
Using data from the national cohort study from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, it has been concluded that chronic sinusitis significantly increases the risk of stroke, regardless of the demographic. Additional study and meta-analysis review from The Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases supports the fact that chronic sinusitis is associated with higher risk of stroke.
According to Healthline, chronic sinusitis has varying symptoms, ranging from inflammation of sinus, frontal sinus headache and runny nose to major sinus headaches. In order to be labeled "chronic" illness, symptoms need to have gone on for more than 12 weeks.
Sinusitis can be created by viral upper respiratory problems or viruses like a cold, bacteria, fungus and allergies, according to Merck Manual. It is more common if you have allergies, nasal polyps or exposure to pollutants or tobacco smoke.
According to Cleveland Clinic, balloon sinuplasty is an Food and Drug Administration-approved, minimally invasive procedure used to treat chronic sinusitis. The procedure is so sophisticated that it can be performed in a medical office setting with no anesthesia. Those who have chronic sinusitis and are at an elevated risk for stroke may be able to lower their chances slightly through the balloon sinusplasty treatment that will open up breathing ways, which allows for oxygen to be in the bloodstream and reduce the negative impact on the heart caused by the condition.
To learn more or to take a sinus self-assessment quiz, visit Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.
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