West Florida News

• Many people may not realize that chronic sinusitis can also affect their mental health.
• Studies have found that people who have chronic sinusitis are at an increased risk for depression and anxiety.
• Balloon sinuplasty is a quick, minimally invasive surgery that can treat chronic sinusitis.

Dr. Matthew Blair of Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says that people who suffer from chronic sinusitis could find that it has a negative effect on their mental health.

"Nasal obstruction, chronic sinusitis or chronic allergies really affect one's quality of life," Blair told West Florida News. "If you have a poor outlook on life because you're always suffering from allergies or sinusitis, it's going to affect the rest of your general health. So if you can get your nose in tiptop shape, you're going to feel better and you'll want to do more things, and you're going to overall improve your quality of health."

Studies have found that people with chronic sinusitis could also be more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, according to Physician's Weekly. One study compared a group of 16,224 people who were treated for chronic sinusitis with a group of 32,448 "similar people" who did not have sinus problems. The study found that over the following 11 years, the sinusitis sufferers were more than 50% more likely to develop depression or anxiety.

Physical symptoms of chronic sinusitis can include nasal inflammation, a runny nose, postnasal drainage, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore throat, bad breath or fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic.

One surgical treatment option for chronic sinusitis sufferers is balloon sinuplasty. A balloon sinuplasty procedure takes only 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities during that time period, although they may experience some swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.