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Have You Been Misdiagnosed With Allergies?

Have You Been Misdiagnosed With Allergies?

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Have You Been Misdiagnosed With Allergies?

Do you sneeze so much that at times you feel like you should own stock in a facial tissue company? Or are your nose and nasal passages often feeling like they’re completely stuffed? Wear and tear on your nose from chronic sneezing and blockages is a drag. Many patients would prefer it if they could no longer need to take anti-allergy medications to clear up their sinuses and avoid infections, but what if you've been misdiagnosed with allergies all along?Severe allergy symptoms can make you feel miserable and keep you from enjoying your favorite outdoor activities. They may even affect where you choose to live or work. But what if the sinus problems you are experiencing have nothing to do with allergies?It can be difficult for patients to tell the difference between having full-fledged allergies or sinusitis, but healthcare providers can give you a more definitive answer.

Ruling Out Allergies

It’s entirely possible that your primary health care provider diagnosed you too quickly as having allergic sinusitis, rather than taking the time to conduct a more comprehensive examination to reach a more accurate diagnosis. However, you might have misdiagnosed yourself.According to an ABC News report focusing on the question of whether allergies or sinusitis is the problem, approximately 50 percent of 600 allergy and asthma patients reported in a survey that they had diagnosed themselves as having allergies when the issue was actually sinusitis.Fortunately for patients in this type of situation, once you have ruled out allergies as being the cause of your sinus issues, you can take advantage of a drug-free solution. Patients looking to prevent frequent sinus infections from coming back can opt for balloon sinuplasty, a safe and quick solution that was approved by the FDA back in 2005 and which is available now at the American Sinus Institute.

Balloon Sinuplasty for Opening Your Nasal Passages

The goal of balloon sinuplasty is to open blocked sinus passages in a minimally invasive procedure.More than 150,000 patients have undergone this safe procedure. Here at the American Sinus Institute, we employ the Honrubia Technique for Balloon Sinuplasty, which involves the patient undergoing general anesthesia. We follow this protocol rather than using local anesthesia because patients find it more beneficial and relaxing, which is key to a successful sinuplasty procedure.With balloon sinuplasty, the doctor inserts a small balloon in the area where the sinuses are blocked. Then, the balloon is inflated gently and slowly.While inflating, the balloon presses against sinus walls, compacting them and opening up the passage. It’s that simple. Once complete, we flush the nasal passage with saline solution. This outpatient procedure typically takes less than 60 minutes and involves less risk and faster recovery than other sinuplasty methods that do not use a balloon.

Enjoy Easier Breathing With Sinuplasty

The sinus headache that you dread experiencing may actually not be caused by a reaction to allergies but in fact could be the result of inflamed or swollen tissues in the nasal cavities that can be treated with balloon sinuplasty. To learn more about balloon sinuplasty in our location for Houston and San Antonio patients or to book an appointment for a consultation, please connect with the American Sinus Institute today.