Sinusitis

Sinusitis is inflammation of the tissues that line the sinuses. This swelling prevents normal drainage of mucus through the nose and outflow pathways of the sinuses. When the flow is blocked, mucus builds up in the sinuses, resulting in symptoms including sinus pressure and congestion, headache, facial pain and may contribute to recurrent sinus infections.

Facts about Sinustis

  • Sinusitis is a common condition, affecting 35 million people each year.(1)
  • More individuals suffer from sinusitis than heart disease or asthma.(2)
  • Compared to chronic back pain or congestive heart failure, sinusitis has a greater impact on quality of life.(2)
  • It is estimated that at least 20% of chronic sinusitis patients are not successfully treated with medical therapy.(3, 4, 5)

Meet Ross Robertson,
a patient of Dr. Klein

Meet Shannon Weaver,
a patient of Dr. Klein

About Sinusitis

If you are like many patients, you may have allergies, and or recurring common colds and actually have Sinusitis. Symptoms of Sinusitis may include:

  • Facial pressure and congestion
  • Headache
  • Facial pain
  • Tenderness and swelling around the eyes, cheeks, nose and forehead
  • Difficulty breathing through the nose
  • Loss of the sense of smell or taste
  • Yellow or green mucus from the nose
  • Teeth pain
  • Fatigue
  • Sore throat from nasal discharge
  • Bad breath

Sinusitis can be a recurrent or a chronic condition significantly impacting physical, functional, and emotional well-being. Treatment for Sinusitis may include:

  • Natural home remedies, such as cool and hot mist vaporizers, steam, nasal irrigation, and sinus rinsing. 
  • Medical management (MM) of Sinusitis includes antibiotics, nasal steroid sprays, and other medications. MM is first line treatment for Sinusitis patients and may have limited therapeutic effects.  
  • Sinus surgery, such as Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) or Balloon Dilation Sinuplasty may be recommended when medical management methods are not enough to relieve symptoms. 
  • Balloon sinuplasty (BSP) has been shown to provide long-lasting symptom improvement in patients suffering from Sinusitis.

As listed above Sinusitis can be treated in the operating room under general anesthesia or in the office through a minimally invasive procedure for some patients.  Most patients undergoing office procedures may return to regular activity within 48 hours.

Dr. Klein also uses an in-office image guidance (navigation) system during her procedures called The TruDi® Navigation System, which allows for instrument navigation accuracy of better than 2mm. This system gives Dr. Klein the ability to perform minimally invasive procedures with increased safety and efficacy.

SNOT-22 Questionnaire

Sino-nasal Outcome Test

Patient Testimonials

I was referred to Dr. Klein by numerous people and she came through by taking incredible care of my newborn son’s condition. She is a great communicator and ensured I understood the procedure.

Dr. Klein’s knowledge of cutting-edge technologies for facial restorative work has been instrumental in my efforts to maintain a more youthful appearance.

Dr. Klein helped to identify on-going sinus issues and treat them through minimally invasive procedures. I feel so much better and can breathe more freely.

GET EXPERT ENT CARE

Dr. Nicole Klein is a highly-regarded ENT physician with sought-after experience to treat a broad range of patient concerns.

References: 1. Benninger MS, Sindwani R, Holy CE, Hopkins C. Early versus delayed endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis: impact on health care utilization. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(3):546-552. 2. Gliklich RE, Metson R. The health impact of chronic sinusitis in patients seeking otolaryngologic care. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1995;113(1):104-109. 3. Subramanian HN, Schechtman KB, Hamilos DL. A Retrospective Analysis of Treatment Outcomes and Time to Relapse after Intensive Medical Treatment for Chronic Sinusitis. Am J Rhinol. 2002 Nov-Dec;16(6):303-12. 4. Hessler JL, Piccirillo JF, Fang D, et al. Clinical outcomes of chronic rhinosinusitis in response to medical therapy: results of a prospective study. Am J Rhinol. 2007 Jan-Feb;21(1):10-8. 5. Lal D, Scianna JM, Stankiewicz JA. Efficacy of targeted medical therapy in chronic rhinosinusitis, and predictors of failure. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2009 Jul-Aug;23(4):396-400. 6. ENT Health – Sinusitis – Patient Health Information. American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.entnet.org/content/sinusitis on May 28, 2021. 7. Palmer JN, Messina JC, Biletch R, et al. A cross-sectional, populationbased survey of U.S. adults with symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2019;40(1):48-56. 8. Chong LY, Head K, Hopkins C, et al. Intranasal steroids versus placebo or no intervention for chronic rhinosinusitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;4:CD011996. 9. Kaper NM, Breukel L, Venekamp RP, et al. Absence of evidence for enhanced benefit of antibiotic therapy on recurrent acute rhinosinusitis episodes: a systematic review of the evidence base. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;149(5):664-667. 10. van Loon JW, van Harn RP, Venekamp RP, Kaper NM, Sachs AP, van der Heijden GJ. Limited evidence for effects of intranasal corticosteroids on symptom relief for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2013;149(5):668-673. 11. Koskinen A, Mattila P, Myller J, et al. Comparison of intra-operative characteristics and early post-operative outcomes between endoscopic sinus surgery and balloon sinuplasty. Acta Otolaryngol. 2017;137(2):202-206. 12. Karanfilov B, Silvers S, Pasha R, Sikand A, Shikani A, Sillers M; ORIOS2 Study Investigators. Office-based balloon sinus dilation: a prospective, multicenter study of 203 patients. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2013 May;3(5):404-11. 13. Bizaki AJ, Numminen J, Taulu R, Rautiainen M. Decrease of nasal airway resistance and alleviations of symptoms after balloon sinuplasty in patients with isolated chronic rhinosinusitis: a prospective, randomised clinical study. Clin Otolaryngol. 2016;41(6):673-680. 14. Bizaki AJ, Numminen J, Taulu R, Kholova I, Rautiainen M. Treatment of rhinosinusitis and histopathology of nasal mucosa: A controlled, randomized, clinical study. Laryngoscope. 2016;126(12):2652-2658. 15. Minni A, Dragonetti A, Sciuto A, et al. Use of balloon catheter dilation vs. traditional endoscopic sinus surgery in management of light and severe chronic rhinosinusitis of the frontal sinus: a multicenter prospective randomized study. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2018;22(2):285-293. 16. Weiss RL, Church CA, Kuhn FA, Levine HL, Sillers MJ, Vaughan WC. Long-term outcome analysis of balloon catheter sinusotomy: two-year follow-up. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;139(3 Suppl 3):S38-S46. 17. Payne SC, Stolovitzky P, Mehendale N, et al. Medical therapy versus sinus surgery by using balloon sinus dilation technology: A prospective multicenter study. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2016;30(4):279-286. 18. Sikand A, Ehmer DR Jr, Stolovitzky JP, McDuffie CM, Mehendale N, Albritton FD 4th. In-office balloon sinus dilation versus medical therapy for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2019;9(2):140-148. 19. Marzetti A, Tedaldi M, Passali FM. The role of balloon sinuplasty in the treatment of sinus headache. Otolaryngol Pol. 2014;68(1):15-19.

Dr. Nicole Klein is a board-certified Otolaryngologist (ENT) serving patients in the greater Indianapolis area. Her ENT and Facial Plastics practice is affiliated with Otolaryngology Associates and OA Facial Plastics.

OA Facial Plastics \ Ste 449
Otolaryngology Associates \ Ste 445
Carmel Office

11725 Illinois Street
Carmel, IN 46032
317-708-6984

Otolaryngology Associates
Noblesville Office

18051 River Avenue, Suite 104
Noblesville, IN 46032
317-674-0180

Otolaryngology Associates
Indianapolis Office

8040 Clearvista Parkway, Suite 350
Indianapolis, IN
317-621-2277

© 2022 Nicole Klein MD. All Rights Reserved. Website Design + Build by Pence Media Group | Photography by Ashley Wittmer Photography | Videography by Michael Durr