Patients suffering from chronic sinusitis endure many symptoms that, over time, have been found to significantly impact their quality of life. In the June 2006 issue of the journal "Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology," Dr. Neil Bhattacharyya of Brigham and Young Women's Hospital in Boston states that endoscopic sinus surgery has been proven to reduce symptoms and reverse the negative effects of chronic sinusitis on quality of life. These improvements manifest in a number of ways.
Decreased Nasal Obstruction
The sinuses are cavities within the skull that are lined with membranes. When infection invades the sinuses, the passages between nasal cavities can become obstructed, leading to sinus congestion. There are four sinus cavities typically affected by obstructions that are treated with endoscopic surgery. Endoscopic surgery removes obstructions, allowing these cavities to drain freely.
Relief of Pain
Sinus congestion can lead to pain in several different forms. Facial pain, which manifests in the areas superficial to the sinuses, and headache pain are both common complaints of patients with chronic sinusitis. A study conducted by doctors at the Georgetown University Medical Center and published in the the May 2009 issue of "Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery" reports that facial pain was relieved by 61 percent, while headaches remitted by 53 percent following endoscopic surgery.
Revived Sense of Smell
The sense of smell often falls victim to the ravages of sinusitis. The American Rhinologic Society explains that losing this relatively under-appreciated member of the special senses can lead to some serious repercussions. The inability to detect smoke, or to sense the odor from food that has gone bad, provide examples of how loss of smell could be catastrophic for the individual.
Chronic sinusitis patients often lose their sense of smell due to nasal obstruction that impedes the special sensory nerves. Patients with nasal polyposis, a disease associated with asthma, have had their sense of smell successfully revived through endoscopic sinus surgery, according to research conducted by Dr. Anders Ehnhag of the Division of Otorhinolaryngology at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and published in the May 2009 edition of the journal "Allergy."
Relief of Asthma Symptoms
There are numerous causes of asthma. In cases of asthma caused by nasal polyposis, functional endoscopic sinus surgery has been observed to effectively relieve symptoms such as cough, congestion and decreased lung function. Ehnhag states that surgery should be one of the early strategies considered when formulating a treatment plan for patients with nasal polyposis accompanied by asthma.
References
- "Allergy"; Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Improved Asthma Symptoms as Well as PEFR and Olfaction in Patients with Nasal Polyposis; Anders Ehnhage; May 2009
- EurekAlert!: Endoscopic Surgery Effectively Relieves Sinusitis Symptoms
- EurekAlert!: Surgery Helps Chronic Sinusitis Sufferers Get Relief
- American Rhinologic Society: Loss of Taste & Smell Stinks!
- "Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology"; Clinical Outcomes After Endoscopic Sinus Surgery; Neil Bhattacharyya; June 2006
