Allergies
Allergies in Ventura County and Central California can cause nasal congestion, runny nose, difficulty breathing through the nose, and sinus pressure. Symptoms can be worse with the onset of the Santa Ana winds. Read more information about allergies here.
See one of our ENT physicians for an evaluation of your allergic symptoms. You may expect management of your allergies with medications or nasal sprays. For those that do not respond to medications, targeted procedures may be available to address your nasal symptoms.
Sinus Infections
Allergy exacerbations or upper respiratory infections (colds) may turn into sinus infections. Some may develop frequent infections each year (recurrent acute sinusitis) or chronic symptoms for more than three months (chronic sinusitis). Polyps may form in the nose and sinuses, causing difficulties with nasal breathing. Symptoms of a sinus infection may include:
- Thick colored nasal drainage
- Sinus pain or pressure
- Nasal obstruction (difficulty breathing through the nose)
- Decreased sense of smell
If you are experiencing frequent sinus infections or persistent sinusitis symptoms, see one of our ENT physicians for a comprehensive evaluation of your nose and sinuses.
Sinusitis Treatment
Treatment of your sinus infections may include antibiotics or other medications to treat a current infection, as well as medicated nasal sprays to prevent infections. For those who continue to have sinus infections or chronic sinusitis, despite adequate trials of nasal medications, procedural or surgical options may be an option.
Your ENT physician may discuss functional endoscopic sinus surgery, performed under general anesthesia. This well-tolerated outpatient procedure enlarges the openings of the sinuses within the nose to allow for more effective drainage of the sinuses and improved delivery of nasal medications. These two factors help prevent acute sinus infections and reduce symptoms of chronic sinusitis.
Balloon sinuplasty
A procedure performed with local anesthesia in the clinic—may also be an option discussed by your physician. This procedure uses a balloon on a catheter wire to gently dilate the openings of the sinuses to improve the drainage. Our offices are equipped with CT navigation to allow your surgeon to safely navigate your nasal passage and sinuses during the procedure. Our ENT specialists have extensive experience with this procedure, allowing you to improve your sinus symptoms with minimal down time.
Contact our office today to request an evaluation of your sinus symptoms!