If you suffer from chronic sinusitis, knowing what type of doctor to see can be a real game changer. Who are they? What do they do? Can they help?
Who are ENT Doctors?
They are men and women who fight infected sinuses, illnesses of the throat, malaise of the ear and any other malady from the collarbone up. Also known as Ear, Nose and Throat doctors, they’re the ones who can treat your sinusitis and almost anything else related to your nose.
ENTs are a capable lot who actually do a lot more than noses. What we care about though is what they can do for your sinuses. ENTs can both diagnose and treat. This means that after they’ve assessed where you’re at, they can give you medicine, devices, treatments and even surgery. How much of that can help with your sinuses?
An ENT Doctor Can Help You Get The Relief You Need!
Ear, nose and throat doctors have quite a few skills at their disposal that can seriously improve your sinus situation, be it a nasal polyp treatment or some other cause. They administer dozens if not hundreds of complex treatments a year and thus, are a highly practiced lot.
Some of what they can do for those with sinus problems include:
- Medicines: Antibiotics, nasal sprays, nasal steroids
- Septoplasty: Surgery to help with deviated septum/sinusitis
- Turbinate Reduction: Surgery to remove pieces of turbinate to widen airways.
- Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS): Surgicially removing blockages such as nasal polyps.
- Balloon Sinuplasty: Clears the sinus by widening the blockage with an inflatable balloon catheter on a wire.
The treatment of sinusitis is something well understood. The effects are drastic but the real trick is actually getting to the doctor.
Results of Sinus Treatments
The results from the varying sinus treatments that ENTs routinely perform are very promising. People the world over who felt like they were prisoners to their unruly sinuses have come to realize that specialists like ENTs have the potential to dramatically increase their quality of life.
Do your sinus problems come from a deviated septum you didn’t know about or is the result of a blockage? An ENT can look at these subtleties and then recommend whether you need a thorough surgery like FESS, or a 48 hour treatment like balloon sinuplasty. One may work better than the other, not only for your sinuses and health but also for your plans and schedule.
Are Nasal and Sinus Issues Affecting Your Life?
At Houston Sinus & Allergy, we see a variety of nasal and sinus issues that result in a loss of smell, as well as other stressful or painful situations, and we know how to provide long term relief. If you’re experiencing difficulty in smelling or nasal breathing, Book an assessment with us, and let us help you breathe normally again.