Sinusitis Specialist

What is sinusitis?

Sinusitis is a condition that causes swelling and inflammation to your sinuses. This swelling blocks your sinuses and prevents mucus from draining normally. Blocked sinuses and built-up mucus lead to several uncomfortable symptoms, including:

• Facial pain and swelling
• Facial tenderness
• Headache
• Congestion
• Ear pressure
• Fatigue
• Loss of sense of smell
• Bad breath

Sinusitis also causes a discolored discharge down the back of your throat or nose known as postnasal drainage. Some patients experience chronic sinusitis, which refers to sinusitis symptoms that last longer than 12 weeks. 

What causes sinusitis?

There are a number of underlying conditions that can cause sinus inflammation. Common causes of sinusitis include:

• Allergies
• Common cold
• The flu
• Narrow sinus passages 

Abnormalities to the sinuses, like nasal polyps and a deviated septum, can also irritate the sinuses, causing swelling and inflammation. If you experience concerning or persistent symptoms, North Shore ENT provides safe and effective sinusitis treatment. 

How is sinusitis diagnosed?

Before you can begin treatment, Dr. Sorin must determine the cause of your condition. To perform your diagnosis, Dr. Sorin starts with a physical exam and discussion of your symptoms and medical history. Depending on your initial exam, Dr. Sorin may order a number of additional tests, including:

• Allergy testing
• CT scan
• Acoustic rhinometry to measure nasal patency

Dr. Sorin also uses nasal endoscopy to evaluate the health of your nasal passages and sinuses. To perform nasal endoscopy, Dr. Sorin guides a thin, flexible tube with a lens, called an endoscope, through your nasal passages. Nasal endoscopy allows Dr. Sorin to see blockages, swelling, and other abnormalities that may cause your condition. 

How is sinusitis treated?

In many cases, sinusitis clears up on its own. As the symptoms of conditions like the flu subside, so does the swelling and inflammation of the sinuses. Depending on the cause of your condition, treatment for your sinusitis may include:

• Nasal sprays
• Decongestant medications
• Allergy medications
• Sublingual immunotherapy
• Antibiotics

In cases of persistent or severe sinusitis, medical treatment may be required for effective relief. If your condition doesn't respond to conservative treatment, Dr. Sorin provides a number of in-office minimally invasive, as well as traditional, and advanced sinus surgical treatment options. Some are performed under general anesthesia, as indicated.

Balloon sinuplasty

Balloon sinuplasty is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive procedure used to unblock the sinuses and to restore proper ventilation for relief of sinus symptoms. Dr. Sorin has more than 10 years of experience performing successful balloon sinuplasty procedures, as one of the founding surgeons to offer this minimally invasive in-office option in the Queens-Long Island area. Patients with previously unsuccessful procedures performed elsewhere turn to Dr. Sorin for treatment and regularly achieve success by undergoing revision touch-up procedures. Balloon sinuplasty is a breakthrough procedure for sinusitis and allows patients to achieve relief. 

Image-guided surgery

Image guidance is a real-time 3D localization technology used during traditional and advanced sinus surgery that is performed under general anesthesia. Use of image-guidance during surgery is reserved for the management of more advanced sinus surgical disease, to improve visibility and safety for advanced skull base procedures and regularly used by Dr. Sorin when necessary. 

To speak with Dr. Sorin about your sinus pain, call the office, or schedule an appointment online today.