PHX Reporter

• Millions of Americans suffer from sinusitis every year.

• Symptoms of sinusitis include congestion, nasal discharge, facial pain, fever, headaches and toothaches.

• If left untreated, sinusitis can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.    

Dr. John Stewart of Arizona Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers tells patients that untreated sinusitis can lead to other, more serious health problems, including strokes and heart disease.

"Breathing is paramount to life itself; breathing is life," he told PHX Reporter. "If you're not doing that well or, specifically, not doing that well at night and you're not getting the proper rest, all aspects of your health will be affected. If the plumbing is bad, that will affect the nose and you won't be breathing like you should. You won't be resting like you should. Your immune system is going to be taxed. It has a ripple effect on all of your health. You might start snoring. You might end up with sleep apnea. Sleep deprivation is very common with chronic sinus patients. That can affect your health in many ways, such as hypertension, early heart disease, stroke, all of that. Breathing well and sleeping well is just part of that puzzle."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million Americans, or 11% of the adult population. Chronic sinusitis is also responsible for 4.1 million doctor visits and more than 230,000 emergency room visits each year.

People who suffer from sinusitis might experience congestion, facial pain, headaches, toothaches, nasal drainage, a reduced ability to smell, fever, and bad breath, according to Scotland's National Health Service. If you do, and your symptoms don't improve after more than a week, then it's time to seek professional help.

An ENT specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, and if those don't work, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If other treatments don't work, the specialist may then recommend sinus surgery.

Sinusitis causes inflammation in the sinus cavities, which can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, neurological disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes if left untreated, according to Next Avenue.

To solve the problem, more doctors are offering balloon sinuplasty, an outpatient procedure that lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and patients typically recover within one to two days. Most patients can resume their normal activities almost immediately, although they may experience swelling for up to a week, according to Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center.

If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.