Sunshine Sentinel

• Millions of Americans suffer from chronic sinusitis every year.

• Symptoms of sinusitis include congestion, nasal discharge, facial pain, fever, headaches and toothaches.

• If left untreated, sinusitis can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.  

Dr. Cody Aull of West Palm Beach Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers tells his patients that inflammation from chronic sinusitis can lead to serious health complications, such as strokes and heart disease.

"There is a correlation between chronic sinus pain or chronic sinus disease and infections and inflammation, which increases the chance of a patient having a stroke," Aull told the Sunshine Sentinel. "I've never met one person who wanted to raise their hand and have a stroke. I don’t want to put fear tactics out there. I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve got chronic sinus issues. I’m going to have a stroke.’ I'm not saying that. I’m saying that if you have chronic sinus issues, you're increasing your risk for stroke. Your risk might be really low, so increasing it a little might not be a big deal to you. But, let's face it, there are a lot of people out there who aren't healthy, and they've got a lot of issues going on." 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million Americans, or 11% of the adult population. Chronic sinusitis is also responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

"You don't want to increase your risks at all," Aull said. "For example, my dad has multiple medical comorbidities and problems. If he's having a sinus issue, I want to be more aggressive and treat him quickly. Why? Because I don't want him to have another stroke or anything like that."

People who suffer from sinusitis might experience congestion, facial pain, headaches, toothaches, nasal drainage, a reduced ability to smell, fever and bad breath, according to Scotland's National Health Service. If you do, and your symptoms don't improve after more than a week, then it's time to seek professional help.

An ENT specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, and if those don't work, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If other treatments don't work, the specialist may recommend sinus surgery.

Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes if left untreated, according to Next Avenue.

To solve the problem, more doctors are offering balloon sinuplasty, an outpatient procedure that lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities almost immediately, although they may experience swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.