Gateway Reporter

• Sinusitis sufferers could be at risk for heart disease if they don't seek treatment.
• Multiple studies have shown that acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis can potentially lead to stroke.

• A balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can help sinus sufferers and reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke.

Many sinusitis sufferers are unaware of the correlation between chronic sinusitis and inflammation, but Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told Gateway Reporter that this correlation can put patients at a higher risk of having a stroke or a heart attack.

“One of these issues could be heart disease, which is why it's important to seek treatment while it's in an early stage,” Ditto said.  “The earlier that we can arrest the progression of chronic sinusitis, then we can decrease some of the long-term complications, including formation of polyps and significant chronic disease."

Ditto advises patients seek help sooner rather than later. "We recommend early management versus waiting until the situation is severe."

According to studies by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, sinus problems impact one in five American adults each year. It is commonly known that sinus conditions cause headaches and congestion. But a study published in the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy shows the inflammation that causes the pain and pressure of a sinus infection also increases the odds of suffering a stroke by an estimated 34% for people who suffer from chronic sinusitis and by 39% for those with occasional acute infections.

The link between sinusitis and stroke is an added risk to middle-aged adults, since about 37% of stroke patients are between 45 and 65, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy published a study in 2012 that concluded both acute and chronic sinusitis are risk markers for stroke, and are completely separate from traditional markers for stroke. This creates a need for further research in the area of epidemiology. A national cohort study published in PLOS One deduced that chronic sinusitis consistently increases the risk of stroke, including the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, regardless of age and gender.

Balloon sinuplasty, which comes with minimal complications, is often recommended for people who have chronic sinusitis, after other treatments have proven ineffective. There is no cutting and no removal of bones or tissue. It is minimally invasive and does not require a long recovery period.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.