WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- Do you have a constant pounding headache and overall stuffiness that stays with you all the time? This time of year, some people have their fair share of stuffy noses and headaches. But it may not be always be seasonal allergies. It could be sinusitis, a condition where inflammation affects the sinuses.
People often confuse sinusitis with allergies.
Dr. Mark Rubenstein of Otolaryngology Associates in Fairfax County says, "Usually allergy problems are seasonal or transient and have symptoms of throat itching perhaps or they have some itchy, watery eyes which are not characteristic of a sinus problem."
Dr. Rubenstein sees patients whose symptoms do not respond to medication, as the pathways from their sinuses can be extremely swollen, "You see a lot of gray in the tissue, blocking the pathway out of the sinuses. Once we see this and one we decide that surgery is an option, we'll go ahead and clear all the blockages out.
For some of the more extreme patients, he uses and implantable device called Propel. The device is left inside the sinuses to keep the cavity open, preventing scarring. The implant slowly releases steroids to stop the reformation of swollen tissue.
3 weeks later, when all of the steroid is used the implant dissolves completely.
Complications from sinus surgery are rare but can include excessive bleeding, impaired sense of taste and smell as well as nasal obstruction.
