East Central Texas News

• People suffering with chronic sinusitis often experience low-quality sleep.

• Having chronic sinusitis increases a person's risk of developing sleep apnea.

• Sleep apnea, in turn, increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and heart disease.

Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers emphasized the damaging health effects of sleep apnea in an interview with East Central Texas News.

"One of the things I’ve noticed with treating patients over time is that with some things, there's a direct correlation. But there are things that are more distant like sleep, cognitive ability, as far as how sharp you are when you wake up in the morning," Trimble said. "If you're breathing poorly at night, you're developing sleep apnea and there's increased stress over time. One thing we know for a fact is that people with obstructive sleep apnea have higher blood pressure. I've definitely seen patients who haven't been diagnosed with sleep apnea who, after their sinuses procedures, have experienced lower blood pressure. We know that breathing issues at night can cause hypertension, and untreated hypertension, most certainly, increases the risk of stroke."

The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports that 60 to 75% of chronic sinusitis patients also suffer from poor sleep, whereas only 8 to 18% of those who don't experience chronic sinusitis suffer from the same problem. Poor sleep also greatly contributes to both a lower quality of life and a higher risk of depression.

Silent Night Therapy also reports that chronic sinusitis sufferers experience high levels of congestion and coughing, which makes breathing while sleeping harder and increases the likelihood of the sufferer developing sleep apnea. Those with this condition may frequently wake up at night gasping for air, suffer from headaches and feel fatigued during the day.

According to the American Heart Association, sleep apnea is more common in both men and overweight people. Those who experience the condition are also more likely to develop heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver problems and stroke. Heart disease is also the leading cause of death in the U.S.

WebMD reports that there are multiple surgical treatments available for chronic sinusitis sufferers, including endoscopy and balloon sinuplasty. Endoscopy is a common procedure involving a doctor inserting a thin, flexible instrument called an endoscope into a patient's nose. One endoscope is fixed with a small camera lens, which sends photos to the doctor, allowing them to locate sinus blockages and direct other endoscopes to remove polyps, scar tissue and other materials. The procedure features no skin incisions and is minimally invasive, making recovery straightforward and easy.

Balloon sinuplasty is a relatively new procedure that is recommended for those who don't need anything removed from their sinuses. For this procedure, a doctor inserts a tube with a small balloon attached to one end into a patient's nose. The doctor then guides the balloon to the blockage and inflates it, clearing the passageway, allowing the sinuses to properly drain and alleviating the patient's congestion.

If you're interested in learning more about diagnosis or treatment of chronic sinusitis, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.