• Sinusitis sufferers could be at risk for heart disease if they don't seek treatment.
• Multiple studies have shown that acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis can potentially lead to stroke.
• A balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can help sinus sufferers and reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke.
Many sinusitis sufferers are unaware of the correlation between chronic sinusitis and inflammation, but Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center told Patient Daily that this correlation can put patients at a higher risk of having a stroke or a heart attack.
Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which, if left untreated, can cause an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, according to Next Avenue. Therefore, it's important for patients who struggle with these issues to seek treatment before they encounter irreversible negative effects.
"Anything that causes inflammation in the body can disrupt other chronic medical issues: high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes," Lee said. "A lot of patients with chronic sinusitis typically are put on antibiotics and usually oral steroids multiple times a year, and those steroids definitely can wreak havoc on patient's blood sugars."
In 2012, a prospective cohort study published by the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy concluded that both acute and chronic sinusitis are risk markers for stroke, and that they are completely separate from traditional markers for stroke. Using data from the national cohort study published in 2018 by PLOS One, it has been deduced that chronic sinusitis consistently increases the risk of stroke, regardless of demographic.
Balloon sinuplasty is most often recommended for people with chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have been ineffective. Balloon sinuplasty is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are minimal. There’s no cutting and no removal of bones or tissue.
To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
