• People suffering from sinusitis should see an ENT specialist to help improve their quality of life.
• Untreated sinusitis can lead to the patient's personal and work life being affected.
• There are minimally invasive treatment options available, such as a balloon sinuplasty procedure.

Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says many sinus patients are prone to having a reduced quality of life. But they may not know there are minimally invasive procedures, such as a balloon sinuplasty, that can help.

"If people listed the serious health issues in life, they'd probably put chronic rhinosinusitis at the bottom of the list. But I always find it interesting if you look at quality-of-life scores," Trimble told the Lone Star Standard. "People who have chronic rhinosinusitis consistently have lower quality-of-life scores than people with almost any other condition."

Chronic sinusitis is one of the most common chronic medical conditions among Americans, according to the Official Journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, and it is proven to negatively impact a patient's quality of life. Early intervention for a sinus patient not only increases their immediate quality of life, but also improves long-term relief and reduces health care costs. However, sinusitis often gets ignored.

The Indian Journal of Otolaryngology conducted a study comparing patients who underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) with patients who opted for a balloon sinuplasty to treat chronic sinusitis and found that, although both procedures are effective, balloon sinuplasty patients needed fewer antibiotic treatments after their procedures. FESS also involves removing sinus tissue, while balloon sinuplasty is "less traumatic" because it doesn't involve removing tissue, instead relying only on dilation.

Many patients who undergo a minimally invasive procedure also find that their sleep quality improves after their procedure, according to Atlanta ENT Sinus & Allergy Associates. A study of more than 500 patients who underwent sinus surgery found significant improvement in the patients' sleep quality and overall quality of life.

A balloon sinuplasty procedure lasts 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.