Spring is here, bringing with it a plethora of complications for people who suffer from sinusitis, which may be aggravated by seasonal allergies.
The spring equinox, when the length of the days and nights are equal twice a year, arrived on Sunday, March 20 and marked the official start of the season, according to an Almanac report.
However, many people who suffer from sinus pressure or headaches during allergy season are already feeling the impacts.
According to an Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America report (AAFA), tree pollen is the leading source of sinus irritation and accompanying symptoms in February, the first month of the spring allergy season.
The AAFA also reports that trees may begin generating pollen as early as January and continue to do so until June in certain conditions.
Additionally, tree pollen allergies may cause the same symptoms as "spring allergies," such as sinus irritation, sneezing, blocked nasal passages and itchy, watery eyes.
In March, tree pollen becomes more prevalent, but additional triggers may come from grass pollen, which, like tree and ragweed pollen, increases during cold nights and warm days, according to an American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology report.
In April, grass pollen starts to emerge and flowers continue to bloom, boosting seasonal allergic rhinitis, and May is also likely to produce an increase in sinus inflammation-related symptoms.
If the weather conditions are favorable, these weather-dependent conditions may also help a plant produce more pollen.
Individuals who suffer from a combination of narrow sinuses and allergies during these months, however, may find relief with balloon sinuplasty.
"One of the best ways to prevent infections would be to reopen those drainage pathways to allow the sinuses to drain properly in their natural form, and that's where the balloon sinuplasty comes in," Dr. Brain Lee of the Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center stated.
According to Healthline, balloon sinuplasty is a "minimally invasive" procedure that enlarges the sinus openings by inserting tiny balloons into them.
"The mainstay in trying to address chronic sinus issues is to get all the old stuff out and to reestablish the normal sinus drainage to allow the nose and the sinuses to function properly," Lee said.
Individuals who believe they may have narrow sinuses or seasonal allergies may solicit the advice of sinus inflammation and allergy expert by taking the Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center's self-assessment quiz.