Is It a Cold or Sinusitis? (Updated 2024)

Woman blowing her nose into a tissue

A lingering cold may be more than just a cold. If you have sinusitis, a balloon sinuplasty can help.

It’s past allergy and flu season, yet you still have that lingering inflamed and swollen pain in your sinuses. Rather than a persistent cold, you may actually have sinusitis, a common condition that affects thousands of people each year and typically lasts for at least 8 to 12 weeks.

What Are the Symptoms of Sinusitis?

If you have sinusitis, you may experience chronic symptoms like sinus pressure or congestion, difficulty breathing through your nose, significant drainage or blockage from the nose, sinus headache, and a loss of smell. Learn more about how to identify sinusitis in our related blog post.

A proper diagnosis is made by an Otolaryngologist-Head & Neck Surgeon (ENT – Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist) who has the ability to determine the best sinusitis treatment options for you. If you’ve been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and are not responding to medical treatment such as steroid nasal sprays and possibly antibiotics, you may be a candidate for sinus surgery.

Why Choose Balloon Sinuplasty?

At Surgical Solutions Network’s facilities in Vancouver and Toronto, our experienced surgeons have been able to treat many patients who suffer from chronic sinusitis with a minimally-invasive procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty. This procedure offers a less invasive, less painful, and quicker recovery versus traditional sinus surgery, yet has been proven in studies to be equally as effective at relieving the chronic symptoms of sinusitis.

“We see many patients returning back to their daily life faster through this procedure than with traditional sinus surgery,” says Dr. Allan Vescan, a Royal College fellowship-trained Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgeon at Surgical Solutions Network Surgical Centre Toronto. “Depending on the number of sinuses and extent of inflammation or sinus disease one may have, you can see someone back to work the next day.”

Benefits of Balloon Sinuplasty

Unlike traditional sinus surgery, Balloon Sinuplasty doesn’t remove bone or tissue from the nose. With the use of balloon technology, a surgeon uses a small balloon catheter to open up blocked passageways to drain the trapped mucus and re-shape the sinus to allow for better ongoing management of sinusitis symptoms.

Sara Mooney, Director of Operations at Surgical Solutions Network – Clearpoint Surgical Toronto, says she sees many patients choosing Balloon Sinuplasty to quickly and efficiently relieve their chronic sinusitis symptoms.

“We work with the best surgeons in the City to provide exceptional care,” says Mooney.  “Our goal is simply to provide an option for patients who are interested in relieving their symptoms using innovative technology resulting in a faster, less painful recovery so that they can go back to enjoying their daily routine, family, essentially their life.”

Interested in Balloon Sinuplasty? Click here to learn more.

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