Who Needs Balloon Sinuplasty?
Feb 22, 2017
Balloon sinus surgery, or balloon sinuplasty, is not for everyone. This minimally invasive surgical procedure is best considered as a strategy of last resort, as most sinus symptoms will resolve on their own without any medical intervention.
Sinus pressure and pain occur when the drainage openings in your sinuses, known as ostia, become obstructed due to dry mucus, inflammation, or a combination of both. Home remedies that loosen the mucus in your sinuses, or reduce inflammation, may relieve the pressure and promote drainage once again.
But when these measures don’t work, then you begin to experience the signature symptoms of chronic sinusitis: pressure, pain, and a particular form of headache which worsens when you tip your head forward. Sinus pressure is one of the most indelible varieties of pain out there: once you have felt it, you aren’t likely to forget it.
Severe sinusitis is the same, but worse. That headache may blossom into an utterly debilitating, crushing pain that keeps you bedridden. The pressure can become so severe that simply brushing an object against your cheek is unbearable. You may develop a fever, as well as pain that radiates down into your teeth, manifesting more like a toothache than a headache.
The appearance of symptoms that keep getting worse are a strong indication that you should consider balloon sinuplasty. The procedure involves your sinus doctor threading a small wire up into the sinuses through your nostril, to the site of one or more obstructed ostia. A tiny balloon is then inflated remotely, creating an opening and pushing outward on the walls of your sinuses.
Many people experience relief in a matter of minutes. The best part is that the pressure from that balloon can create microcracks in the surrounding bony structures, helping to keep them open in the future and prevent a recurrence of those terrible symptoms.
For the best balloon sinuplasty center in Los Angeles, visit LASI today for a full examination from renowned sinus surgeon Dr. Mani Zadeh.