Do you need sinus surgery? If you have chronic sinusitis, a recurring infection of the air-filled spaces about the brows, behind the nose and under the cheeks, you just may benefit from one of today's technologically-advanced surgical techniques. At West Coast Ear Nose and Throat in Simi Valley, Ventura County, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks, CA, sinus surgery relieves many patients of their distressing pain, pressure and drainage. Learn the details on sinusitis and how your ENT physician can help.

You're tired

Sinusitis will do that, particularly if your infections are so frequent that your otolaryngologist considers them chronic. Nasal decongestants, steroidal medications, antihistamines, sinus irrigation and antibiotics help for a time, but then, the fatigue, drainage and congestion typical of sinusitis returns.

Other stubborn sinus problems include:

• Allergic rhinitis (with symptoms similar to sinusitis)
• A deviated septum (the bone within the nose is crooked, blocking free flow of air and mucous)
• Large nasal polyps (fleshy, benign growths)
• Structural problems due to a facial injury

These issues cause patients of all ages to suffer from symptoms of a stuffy nose, headaches, lowered sense of smell, thick, yellow or green mucus, tiredness, and more. When aggressive and long-term medical interventions such as those mentioned above do not relieve symptoms, then your ENT doctor may recommend sinus surgery.

The treatments

Fortunately, many of today's sinus surgeries are performed in-office with minimal anesthetic and downtime afterward. Your otolaryngologist will review your symptoms, look up your nose with a lighted instrument to get the best possible visualization of all your sinuses.

If surgery is warranted, expect the doctor to use a thin, lighted endoscope to enter your sinuses through the nostrils. The goals of the procedure will be the improvement of drainage and airflow and removal of excess tissue. Your doctor performs some sinus surgeries in the Oxnard office using real-time, three-dimensional imaging, a technique that's very effective when nasal passages are tight or malformed.

Sinus surgery helps

ENT Today reports that sinus surgeries are on the rise, with about 250,000 performed annually in the United States. Why is this happening? Doctors cite the ease with which endoscopic techniques correct abnormalities and improve symptoms.

Could sinus surgery help you? Only your otolaryngologist at West Coast Ear Nose and Throat in Simi Valley, Ventura County, Camarillo, and Thousand Oaks, CA can tell you that. If you have stubborn, recurring symptoms associated with your sinuses, please call our office for a consultation: (805) 379-9646. Our team of experts is ready to help.