Dr. John Stewart of Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers pointed out that those who suffer from chronic sinusitis are more likely to suffer from depression simultaneously.
Physician's Weekly supports Stewart's theory, pointing out a recent study showing that those who suffer from chronic sinusitis are 41% more likely to suffer from depression as well.
"A study by the National Institutes of Health showed that over a one-year period, there were up to 73 million restricted-activity days related to sinusitis and total direct medical costs of almost $2.4 billion, not including surgery or radiographic imaging," Stewart told Arizona Business Daily. "Unresolved sinusitis becomes a quality-of-life issue, taking people away from their jobs, family, friends and obligations."
According to the medical journal Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy, 60 to 75% of chronic sinusitis sufferers also suffer from poor quality of sleep.
An early intervention for sinus patients not only increases their immediate quality of life, but also improves long-term relief and reduces health care costs, according to a study published in the medical journal Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery.
“We don’t want to suggest . . . that if they don’t get their sinus infection treated, then they’re going to go crazy," Dr. Edward McCoul, director of rhinology and sinus surgery at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, told Physician's Weekly. “But . . . chronic rhinosinusitis is a condition that is often unrecognized by the person who has it -- they think they’re just having recurring sinus infections -- and so seeking competent care, preferably from an otolaryngologist, could lead to sooner diagnosis and control of the condition.”
One of the most common early interventions for sinus sufferers is balloon sinuplasty, a minimally invasive, in-office procedure that is offered at Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers. The treatment has been shown to be highly effective and very low risk in the 16 years since it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.