Maryland State Wire

• Sinusitis sufferers could be at risk for heart disease if they don't seek treatment.
• Multiple studies have shown that acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis can potentially lead to stroke.
• A balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can help sinus sufferers and reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke.

Many sinusitis sufferers are unaware of the correlation between chronic sinusitis and its related health risks, but Dr. Jamie Oberman of Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Maryland State Wire that these risks can evolve into issues that could affect a patient's quality of life.

"It usually starts with a virus, which almost everyone gets, and then it can evolve into bacterial secondary recurrent infections, as well as chronic infections, which have specific criteria that you have to meet," Oberman said. "It's a significant problem that affects the population and quality of life as a result. It doesn't discriminate, as far as age or race; it affects everyone."

Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which, if left untreated, can cause an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, according to Next Avenue. Therefore, it's important for patients who struggle with these issues to seek treatment before they have to deal with irreversible negative effects.

A 2012 prospective cohort study published in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy concluded that both acute and chronic sinusitis are risk markers for stroke, and that they are completely separate from traditional markers for stroke.

Using data from the national cohort study published in PLOS One in 2018, it has been deduced that chronic sinusitis consistently increases the risk of stroke, regardless of demographic.

Balloon sinuplasty is most often recommended for people who suffer from chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have been ineffective. Balloon sinuplasty is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are minimal. There’s no cutting and no removal of bones or tissue.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.