Do your allergies seem out of control?

The warm weather brings seasonal allergies in many causing stuffy noses, congestion, facial pain and tenderness, decreased smell and taste, and sinus infections. For most people suffering from seasonal allergies, relief is found with over-the-counter and prescription medications. However, if the condition lingers or becomes more severe, you could be battling chronic sinus infections (CRS).
Several people experience the pain and discomfort of chronic sinus infections, also known as chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Unlike acute sinus infections, CRS is unresolved, with severe inflammation of the sinuses lasting for more than 12 weeks. Several factors are associated with the potential development of CRS, including infection, growths in the sinuses known as nasal polyps, deviated nasal septum, abnormal anatomy of the sinuses, allergies, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or regular exposure to pollutants such as cigarette smoke.
Signs and symptoms of CRS

• Difficulty breathing through the nose due to nasal obstruction or congestion.
• Reduced sense of smell and taste.
• Thick, discoloured discharge from the nose or drainage down the back of the throat.
• Pain, tenderness and swelling around the eyes, nose, or face.

The pain from CRS can be agonising. It can affect nasal function, impair health and diminish quality of life — most individuals with CRS report a lower quality of life than individuals with chronic back pain or even congestive heart failure.
If you are unable to find relief from the pain and congestion of CRS with over-the-counter or prescribed drug therapies, you should see your Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist or primary care physician to have further evaluation.
When drug therapies fail to provide relief from CRS, doctors typically recommend that their patients consider functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) to remove the source of the blockage and infection.
As with most surgeries, there are risks to consider such as damage to the areas surrounding the sinuses or failure of the procedure. Approximately 1 in 5 sinus surgeries fail to provide desirable outcomes and require subsequent procedures to provide CRS patients with relief. However, there are ways to minimise the risks and improve the chances of a successful surgery.