LA Harbor News

• People suffering with chronic sinusitis often experience low-quality sleep.

• Having chronic sinusitis increases  a person's risk of developing sleep apnea.

• Sleep apnea, in turn, increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and heart disease.

Dr. Matt Hershcovitch of SoCal Breathe Free said people who suffer from chronic sinusitis frequently experience poor sleep quality and are more likely to develop sleep apnea.

Approximately 60 to 75% of chronic sinusitis patients also deal with low-quality sleep, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). In comparison, only 8 to 18% of people who do not have chronic sinusitis experience poor sleep quality or sleep disruption. Sleeping poorly is linked to an overall lower quality of life, as well as a higher risk for depression.

"Chronic sinusitis leads to inflammation of the nasal mucosa and often nasal obstruction," Hershcovitch told LA Harbor News. "When you have nasal obstruction, that is a large cause of obstructive sleep apnea. The negative and deleterious health effects of sleep apnea are significant. 

"Nasal and sinus problems can lead to sleep apnea and, what's worse, those who already have sleep apnea are often poorly controlled because they can't tolerate their CPAP machine because it's blowing air into a blocked and obstructed nose. Not only do we see people who have chronic sinusitis, but when we address it with a balloon sinuplasty and turbinate reduction, we see not only can their sleep apnea sometimes be cured, but we almost always see a reduction in the severity of their sleep apnea."

People who deal with chronic sinusitis can experience congestion and coughing that make it more difficult to breathe while sleeping, according to Silent Night Therapy. This leads to a risk of developing sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea might wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, experience headaches in the morning and feel tired over the course of the day.

Sleep apnea is more likely to affect men and people who are overweight, according to the American Heart Association. People with sleep apnea face an increased risk of heart disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, liver problems and stroke. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S.

Those who suffer from chronic sinusitis have several surgical treatment options, including endoscopy and balloon sinuplasty, according to WebMD. Endoscopy is a common procedure, during which doctors insert thin, flexible instruments called endoscopes into the nose. One instrument has a small camera lens that sends images back to a monitor, enabling the doctor to tell where the sinuses are blocked and guide the other instruments to gently remove polyps, scar tissue and other blockages. Doctors do not cut into the skin, so recovery should be relatively fast and easy. Endoscopy is usually done with a local anesthetic, meaning the area is made numb and the patient remains awake. 

Another newer treatment is balloon sinuplasty, a good choice for people who do not need anything removed from the sinuses. The doctor inserts a thin tube into the nose with a small balloon attached to one end. He or she then guides the balloon to the blocked area inside the nose and inflates it. The balloon helps clear the passageway so the sinuses can drain properly, alleviating congestion.

If you're interested in learning more about diagnosis or treatment of chronic sinusitis, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.