PHX Reporter

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and doctors at the Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers are raising awareness that a large portion of patients suffering from chronic sinusitis are also suffering from depressive symptoms, and that is not a coincidence.

According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, major depression affects 7.1% of the U.S. population. Symptoms of depression can include the inability to take pleasure in former interests, social withdrawal, irritability and loss of appetite.

In a review of 320 patients with sinus symptoms, it was noticed that depressed chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients reported significantly worse pain, including pain in the bridge of nose, headache and energy level, than those without depression comorbidity, according to a report from the American Journal of Rhinology.

"Unresolved sinusitis becomes a quality-of-life issue, taking people away from their jobs, family, friends and obligations." Dr. John Stewart at Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told PHX Reporter. 

Using the Beck Depression Inventory, a self-reporting questionnaire that measures depressive symptoms, scientists concluded that higher depression was found in participants with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps, according to the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy.

In a larger cohort study with an 11-year followup, findings show that chronic rhinosinusitis sufferers are at a greater increased risk for depression and that depression and anxiety appeared to occur more frequently in patients without nasal polyps compared with those with nasal polyps, according to JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) occurs in 1 to 5% of the population and includes symptoms like sinus pressure headache and postnasal drip. In an article from the journal Medicine, it says that depression may develop from failed attempts at medical management or the treatment itself.

Balloon sinuplasty is an FDA-approved endoscopic medical procedure for those who have CRS, according to Healthline. Approved in 2005, the procedure is simple and minimally invasive. A otolaryngologist inserts a tiny balloon into the nasal cavity, then expands it to open the sinuses, allowing the patient to breathe better.

In a prospective cohort study from the Journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology improved measurements in quality of life were reported after endoscopic sinus surgery.

If you are struggling with chronic sinusitis with depression and want to learn more about treatment options, take our Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.