Gateway Reporter

• Sinusitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungus and allergies. 
• Symptoms of sinusitis often include yellow or green nasal drainage, facial pressure and pain, nasal congestion, bad breath, coughing up mucus, and in some cases, fever and chills.
• When sinusitis persists for more than three months, it is classified as chronic sinusitis.

Statistically, women may be more susceptible to sinus issues and sinusitis compared to men. According to Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free, sinusitis should be taken care of early to improve long-term health.

“There's a lot of benefits to addressing sinus disease earlier rather than waiting,” Dr. Khanna told the Gateway Reporter.

Nasal inflammation, also referred to as sinusitis, involves the inflammation or swelling of the sinus lining, according to the American Sinus Institute. This condition can obstruct air passages, leading to increased mucus production and the potential for infection. It's a relatively common issue, often triggered by something as ordinary as the common cold.

Sinusitis tends to affect women more than men, according to JNJ Med Tech. It is estimated that sinusitis affects 16% of women each year, compared to 10% of men. Overall, chronic sinusitis affects 35 million people per year. 

Gender differences can also influence the symptoms experienced as a result of sinusitis. According to the Consequences of Chronic Rhinosinusitis on Blood Pressure study, it was concluded that 2% of men and 4% of women who experience inflammation of sinus also experience a significant increase in blood pressure, especially in patient groups over 50 years of age.

While there is no consensus on why women experience sinusitis more frequently than men, several theories have emerged. Some researchers propose that women's greater willingness to report symptoms and seek medical care may contribute to this discrepancy. Additionally, factors such as differences in tobacco susceptibility, hormonal influences, and smaller sinus ostia have been speculated to increase women's overall susceptibility to sinusitis.

According to Capitol Breathe Free's website, Dr. Manish Khanna earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The following year, he completed postgraduate research at the National Institutes of Health. In 2002, he obtained his medical degree from Albany Medical College. where he later completed both his surgical internship and residency, serving as chief resident until 2007. After his residency, he pursued a fellowship in rhinology, specializing in advanced endoscopic sinus surgery, at the California Sinus Institute in Palo Alto, California. He completed this fellowship and achieved board certification in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery in 2008 before returning to the D.C. metro area.