Thirty-five million Americans wake-up every morning with their noses on the fritz. It’s not that someone stuffed marbles in their beaks while they slept. They’re afflicted with recurrent or persistent sinusitis. A while back, the way to unblock their nasal passages was to gobble-down antibiotics or steroids. In some cases, doctor’s would have to knock you out, cutting away the blockage.
Enter Balloon Sinuplasty
Currently, patients have an option that shows promise. And it’s so uncomplicated for those with certain types of sinus blockage that it’s touted to act faster than you can say some word which has 15-thousand syllables. In other words, Balloon Sinuplasty works so fast that it’s done right in the offices of the ENT Center of Austin.
How does it work? Very simple:
- A small tube is gently inserted into the nose hole. On the end of the tube is a really little camera so we can guide it to the site of the blockage.
- Next we’ll take a flexible guide wire, threading it inside the first tube.
- At this point, well put in place a balloon-tipped catheter right across from the blocked ostium (don’t worry, we’ll show you a picture in a moment).
- The balloon is slowly inflated. Basically the purpose of this part is to change the shape of the blocked ostium.
- The whole deal is taken out of your nose once the ostium is open. That’s about it.
What’s Inside My Nose
We promised a picture. Here’s it is. It’ll not only show you where the ostium is, but all the working parts of your nose.
We at the ENT Center of Austin like to use this treatment because it’s less invasive and will get you back on your feet quickly. Less trauma to the area in question, too. Another plus to taking this approach, rather than surgery, the follow-up isn’t as complicated.
That and you’ll definitely lose the “dry mouth” feeling. After all, you’ve got two more functioning holes to breath with. Probably will improve your sense of taste. It’s a well-known fact that the flavor of your food is directly related to your nose.
Image Sources: piedmont.com; bluelight.ru
