Are Sinus Problems Seasonal or Year Round?

Sinus Problems: A Year-round or Seasonal Issue?

Nearly 40 million Americans are currently suffering from sinus problems. If you’re one of them, you know that a sinus infection flare up can be very uncomfortable and sometimes even painful. A number of things can cause sinus problems: colds, allergies, various Sinusenvironmental factors or deformities in the nasal passages.

When you start to feel sinus pressure, the first and most important step to take is to get a proper diagnosis. Many people who seek treatment for sinus problems mistakenly treat the symptoms of allergies when they actually have a more severe infection or an abnormal sinus cavity. Your Hagerstown and Frederick, MD ENT doctors at Central ENT Consultants can help you diagnose if you’re suffering from seasonal allergies or chronic sinusitis.

Seasonal Sinus Problems

During changing seasons, the humidity in the air drops and rises. This leaves the nasal passages dry and the sinuses susceptible to infection. Infection often leads to swelling, which thwarts mucus from draining properly. This backup is what causes sinus pressure and pain.

Allergies are probably the most common trigger of sinus problems. Allergic reactions often cause the kind of swelling mentioned above.

 Chronic Sinusitis

Sinusitis comes with all the same symptoms of seasonal allergies and sinus infections, but lasts for much longer (12 weeks). Most sinusitis even develops as a result of untreated allergies or infection, but is also associated with defects in the nasal passages—like an extra sinus, deviated septum, or narrow sinuses. With a proper diagnosis, treatment can be administered easily and effectively. Most sinus doctors will recommend a combination of treatments ranging from steroids to antibiotics to treat infection, but in the event your sinus problems are the result of abnormal nasal passages, you may want to consider reconstructive surgery to ensure your chronic sinusitis problems won’t reappear.

 To learn more about facial surgery and sinusitis treatment in the Hagerstown and Frederick, MD area, call Central ENT Consultants today!