Inspira Health Network, Inc.

SPR 2016

Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.

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2 1 w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m S P R I N G 2 016 S P I R I T O F W O M E N SHUTTERSTOCK infection," says Dr. Simmons. These sprays help unblock the nasal passages to restore airflow, which helps treat the infection. Expect to be on an antibiotic and other nasal treatments for seven to 14 days. If you don't feel better at that point, your doctor may want to try switching antibiotics to see if that helps. If your congestion and headache still haven't gone away after three months, or you experience four or more sinus infections per year, your sinus infection is considered chronic. That's when it's time to see an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. CHRONIC SINUSITIS TREATMENTS An ENT physician will dig deeper to determine the cause of your chronic sinusitis, which could include allergies, naturally narrow nasal passages (which make you susceptible to congestion), or a sinus infection that hasn't been adequately treated. Treatment may call for allergy testing or another generation of antibiotics. If your symptoms still persist after three weeks or so, you may need to undergo a CT (computerized tomography) scan of your nasal passages. "It's the gold standard test for sinusitis, but because it involves radiation, we reserve it for patients with persistent sinusitis," Dr. Shah says. In some cases of chronic sinusitis, the sinuses can become permanently occluded, or stopped up. "An innocent cold can turn into a bacterial infection that swells the lining of the sinuses so much that it's not reversible," says Dr. Shah. If the scan shows significant blockage because of infection or narrow anatomy, surgery can help restore air flow. "We have a new technique, balloon sinuplasty, which can be done as an outpatient with little or no sedation," says Dr. Simmons. During the procedure, a tiny guidewire is inserted through your nostrils. Then a small balloon is inflated to open up nasal passages, in the same way that heart surgeons use balloon angioplasty to unblock arteries. Unlike with conventional sinus surgery, no bone or tissue is removed. "We try to make the natural openings larger so that the sinuses can drain and ventilate better," explains Dr. Simmons. • there but there's not enough to cause infection," says Dr. Ryan Simmons, an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) affiliated with North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, Miss. When you get a cold, however, your nose can become so congested that you can't blow out the bacteria that naturally reside there. Consequently, the bacteria count can build up to the point where your nasal passages become infected. When is a cold just a cold, and when is it potentially something more serious? Here's how to decipher your cold-like symptoms so that you can start breathing easier and feel better faster. COLD VS. SINUSITIS CLUES "Sinusitis can be difficult to diagnose," says Dr. Darsit Shah, an otolaryngologist affiliated with Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, Long Branch, N.J. But time is one distinguishing factor. You may have sinusitis if you have cold-like symptoms that last longer than five to seven days. Other clues that separate sinusitis from a cold include a persistent headache, especially in your brow area or just behind the bridge of your nose, a stuffy nose with thick or yellowish- or greenish-colored discharge, a decreased sense of smell, a sore throat, bad breath and a cough that gets worse at night. "Fever can also be a sign of sinusitis, but it's not common," says Dr. Simmons. If you have these symptoms, see your primary care doctor. For a more definitive diagnosis, your physician may perform a nasal endoscopy, which uses a thin, lighted tube to examine your sinuses and any discharge. ACUTE SINUSITIS SOLUTIONS If you do have sinusitis, your doctor will likely prescribe a penicillin antibiotic, such as amoxicillin (Augmentin), or another antibiotic if you can't take penicillin for any reason. An over-the-counter decongestant, such as Sudafed (phenylephrine), or a nasal steroid spray, such as Flonase or Nasonex, may also help. "Nasal steroid sprays are usually used for allergies, but we recommend them short-term for sinusitis to reduce 4 WAYS to treat a sinus infection You may have sinusitis if you have cold-like symptoms that last longer than fve to seven days. 1. Penicillin antibiotic 2. Non-penicillin antibiotic 3. Over-the-counter decongestant 4. Over-the-counter nasal steroid spray n

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