Dallas City Wire

• Chronic sinus inflammation can lead to decreased functionality and painful symptoms.

• Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population.

• Balloon sinuplasty is an effective, manageable procedure for people who have chronic sinusitis.

According to the American Sinus Institute, nasal inflammation is swelling of the tissue that lines the sinuses. Also known as sinusitis, this condition blocks the air passageways, causing mucus to increase and potentially cause an infection. This type of ailment is common and can be caused by something as simple as the common cold.

Serious complications can result from untreated sinusitis, such as vision loss or other infections, according to Mayo Clinic.

"I'm very excited about balloon sinuplasty, balloon dilation," Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Dallas City Wire. "I always tell people that I went to a conference, I think this was back in 2005 in San Francisco and, at the very end, they were talking about balloon dilation. I remember thinking, 'Wow, if you could eventually do this in the office, this would be a game-changer because you could take what we've been doing in the operating room for years, you can move it to a less-invasive, maybe easier environment. And that would be great.

"Sure enough, in 2011 we were doing this procedure in the office, and we were probably one of the earlier offices that started doing it. Technique-wise, I felt we were already on the road to less-invasive treatment by not removing things that did not need to be removed, being more careful to preserve normal tissue. Now we are able to go in and simply enlarge the openings of your sinuses, improve sinus function and drainage. We can also improve breathing with very minimally invasive techniques. The goal is to get maximum benefit with minimal downside."

Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic sinusitis is the cause of 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

Balloon sinuplasty is often recommended for people with chronic sinusitis, after other treatments for their condition have been ineffective. The procedure is fairly straightforward, and reported complications are minimal. There are no incisions and no removal of bones or tissue, according to Healthline. After a balloon sinuplasty, many people are able to return to their regular activities within a day or two. Some people even drive themselves home from the procedure.

Readers can learn more about sinusitis or balloon sinuplasty and take a Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz from Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.