NFL Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk used to suffer from postnasal drip, until he tried balloon sinuplasty. | Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Department of Argiculture
NFL Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk used to suffer from postnasal drip, until he tried balloon sinuplasty. | Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Department of Argiculture
From steam showers to dietary changes to homeopathic remedies, former NFL running back Marshall Faulk said he tried a variety of remedies to relieve his sinus problems.
However, the symptoms of sinusitis, particularly postnasal drip, were affecting his life and his career as a broadcaster.
“If I was at work, broadcasting, I started having severe postnasal drip,” Faulk said in a YouTube video.
Faulk, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 after being drafted out of San Diego State by the Indianapolis Colts, said his sinus problems became noticeably worse after his athletic career ended.
He asked himself whether it was it from the lack of working out or whether it was from the spicy foods he enjoyed. No matter what he tried, any relief he'd experience was only temporary.
Faulk finally took the plunge and opted to have a balloon sinuplasty, which is recommended for people who suffer from chronic sinus infections.
The procedure is no longer in its infancy. In fact, in the years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it, it has gone from an outpatient procedure in a hospital to a treatment that can be done in the office of an ear, nose and throat specialist, such as Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.
The process requires inserting catheters into the sinuses and inflating a balloon to expand the sinus passageways so that proper drainage is easier.
With advances in the procedure, it can now be performed with a local anesthetic in a matter of minutes. Balloon sinusitis carries minimal complications, because there is no cutting -- but there are some risks, as is the case with any surgery, according to Healthline.
Most patients recover quickly and find that they can breathe easier afterward. Dr. John Stewart and the team at Arizona Breathe Free offer balloon dilation as a 1st line of defense for patients like Faulk, who struggle with sinusitis getting in the way of living their life.
If you are interested in evaluating your symptoms and are considering seeing a doctor, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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