Gateway Reporter

• In a case-control study, participants with sinus inflammation showed decreased brain connectivity

• Chronic sinusitis was found to consistently restrict the mental faculties

• 41% of sufferers are more likely to suffer from depression

New research has found that sinusitis or chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) could have a significant impact on brain processes that determine mental health, such as depression, cognition and consciousness, according to a medical study on PubMed.gov.

As part of the study, 22 individuals were selected to examine brain activity in CRS patients using data from the Human Connectome Project, an open-access research tool from a project that was initiated in 2009. The case-control study revealed that people with sinusitis exhibited reduced brain connectivity in areas responsible for cognitive regulation.

Another study published in the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology found that CRS regularly impairs cognitive abilities in objective cognitive functions and other categories. This study used a series of tests, including the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and the Fatigue Severity Scale for evaluating fatigue.

Physicians Weekly reports that sinonasal inflammation and chronic rhinosinusitis negatively impact the quality of life and are connected to mental health, with 41% of patients more likely to suffer depression.

Dr. Manish Khanna of the Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers reports that chronic sinusitis patients can experience symptom-related fatigue.

"That's definitely the fuel to add to that depression cycle where your energy levels are down," Khanna said. "You just don't feel like doing anything, you just get into this malaise because fatigue is a very common symptom of chronic and acute sinusitis; it definitely affects your energy levels, which certainly can exacerbate people who have depression or can kind of lead down that road, to a milder depression, if this is untreated.”

CRS is caused by inflammation in the nose, a headache, and pressure in the sinuses which can be triggered by infections, allergic reactions or other irritants, according to Healthline.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 11% of U.S. adults, or approximately 30 million individuals, currently live with chronic rhinosinusitis.

CRS may be managed using endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) or Balloon Sinuplasty to help alleviate patients' symptoms.

According to the results of a 2019 study published in the International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology, patients who underwent ESS also frequently demonstrated improvements in their cognitive abilities.

Sinusitis and migraines without a doubt have an impact on quality of life. Now there is a way to measure the severity of the disease.