Up Your Nose with a Rubber Hose! New treatment for chronic
sinusitis sufferer
If anyone has ever suffered from the unrelenting pain of
chronic sinusitis, they will welcome with open arms any treatment
which can alleviate the symptoms of this troublesome disease.
What is Chronic Sinusitis?
Chronic sinusitis is one of the more prevalent chronic illnesses
affecting persons of all age groups and as many as 10% of
people are affected by chronic sinusitis at some stage in
their lives. It is generally defined as a sinus infection
persisting for more than 3 months and symptoms of chronic
sinusitis may include:
· Nasal stuffiness, discharge, post-nasal drip and
sneezing.
· Facial fullness, discomfort, and headache
· Chronic unproductive cough and sore throat
· Bad breath, unpleasant taste and dental pain.
· Malaise and fever.
· Exacerbation of asthma
· Visual disturbances
· Stuffy ears
The good news is that doctors in Singapore are now using a
new technique that promises patients a faster recovery time.
The procedure called Balloon Sinuplasty is the first of its
kind in Asia and is less invasive thancurrent surgery methods.
The treatment which is performed under general anesthesia
involves doctors inserting a wire into the nasal cavities
and inflating a balloon to unblock and drain clogged up sinus
passageways. The balloon is inflated just enough to open the
passageway. Once the passageway is open, the balloon is deflated
and withdrawn.
The positive side to Balloon Sinuplasty is that there are
no incisions or cutting and therefore no bruising or swelling.
Instead of cutting, the balloon separates the bones and spreads
them apart, allowing the sinuses to be drained
This is much less invasive and less traumatic than the current
procedure called Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS),
which requires doctors to remove bones and tissues through
endoscopic surgery. After FESS treatment patients usually
take about a month to recover fully, however with Balloon
Sinuplasty the procedure is performed as day surgery and the
patient is usually fully recovered within a few days.
Each patient suffering from sinusitis is different. Only after
thorough examinations and discussions between the patient
and a qualified ENT surgeon can it be determined whether a
patient may benefit from the Balloon Sinuplasty system.
“Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife
that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty
years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral
service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any
health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail
at info@chcbali.com or Hp. 081 2366 0000”.
