West Florida News

• Untreated sinusitis can result in complications that affect many parts of the body, aside from just the nose.
• Bad breath is a common problem that sinusitis suffers have to deal with due to nasal drainage and mouth breathing.
• There are minimally invasive treatment options available that can treat sinusitis.

Bad breath is one of the many complications that can evolve from sinusitis, but there are treatment options that can improve or resolve the problem. Dr. Matthew Blair of Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says that a balloon sinuplasty can permanently open the sinuses, alleviating chronic sinusitis.

"Over the last 10 years, we've really improved something called balloon sinus dilation, otherwise known as balloon sinuplasty," Blair told West Florida News. "We take a small catheter that's inserted into the natural opening of the sinus. We insert the balloon into the opening of the sinuses and dilate that balloon, dilating the natural opening of the sinus, and then we deflate the balloon. This takes less than a minute for each sinus, and it permanently opens the sinuses so we can get treatment into the sinus."

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 threat, bad breath or fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic.

People who suffer from chronic sinus problems are more likely to breathe through their mouths, but mouth breathing can lead to oral health issues, including bad breath, according to Cleveland Clinic. Breathing through the mouth disrupts the regular flow of saliva, which typically plays a role in keeping your mouth clean.

Scotland's National Health Service recommends that people experiencing sinusitis symptoms that aren't improving for more than a week should see a physician.

An ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication. If those don't help symptoms improve, the doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If those treatments do not resolve the sinusitis symptoms, the ENT specialist might recommend a sinus procedure.

There are sinusitis treatment options available that are safe, nonsurgical and minimally invasive. One of these options is known as a balloon sinuplasty, in which doctors insert a guide wire equipped with a small balloon into the nostrils and navigate it to the area of blockage, according to Nuffield Health. The balloon is then gently inflated enough to open the sinuses. These passageways being open leads to patients breathing better and achieving a greater quality of life.