Nola Reporter

• Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population. 
• Experts recommend early intervention for sinusitis to reduce the risk of more serious conditions developing later.
• Balloon sinuplasty is a procedure often recommended to treat chronic sinusitis. 

While the initial symptoms of sinusitis may seem mild, they can severely diminish one's quality of life if left untreated. According to Dr. Adil Fatakia of ENT & Allergy of New Orleans, some patients unfortunately become conditioned to the symptoms of this chronic illness. 

"Chronic sinusitis can really impact us in a lot of ways," Dr. Fatakia told the Nola Reporter. "Some effects are obvious to us, like congestion and a runny nose, while others are less obvious, like sleep disturbances that can then result from other symptoms, including headaches, depression, and decreased work productivity. The other thing that people don't really realize about sinus disease is that it sometimes becomes a routine part of their lives, almost a new normal."

Causes of sinusitis include viruses, bacteria, fungus, and allergies, according to the Merck Manuals. If sinusitis lasts for more than three months, it is considered to be chronic sinusitis. Symptoms of sinusitis include yellow or green drainage from your nose, pressure and pain in your face, stuffy nose, bad breath, coughing up mucus, especially at night, and sometimes fever and chills.

Serious complications can result from untreated sinusitis, including vision loss or infections in the bones and skin, according to Mayo Clinic. It is rare, but infections caused by sinusitis can even cause meningitis.

People experiencing symptoms lasting more than a week are advised to seek a physician, according to NHS Inform. An ENT specialist may initially recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, or they may even prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray for more severe cases. For cases where those treatments are ineffective, the specialist might recommend sinus surgery.

Balloon sinuplasty, also known as balloon catheter dilation surgery, is a procedure to clear blocked sinuses, according to Healthline. The procedure is relatively new, having been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005. Balloon sinuplasty is most often recommended for people with chronic sinusitis after other treatments for their condition have proven ineffective. Balloon sinuplasty is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are minimal.

According to ENT and Allergy of New Orleans' website, Dr. Fatakia received his Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He later earned his medical degree at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. Dr. Fatakia completed a five-year residency program in head and neck surgery at Tulane University, followed by a fellowship in sinus and skull base surgery at the Sinus and Nasal Institute of Florida in St. Petersburg.