BMN Blog

"Doc, I've got sinus" is a  phrase I often hear as we begin to interview a patient in my Otolaryngology (ENT) practice at ENT Associates of Alabama office at Grandview. And while I understand the patient's colloquial use of "sinus,” to an ENT doctor, sinusitis is a specific problem affecting the paranasal sinus' (air-filled bone spaces that surround the nasal cavity) as opposed to rhinitis, which involves inflammation and /or infection in the nasal cavity. So I want to take the opportunity to explain the differences between the two terms and  how we treat each entity.

Nasal obstruction is a significant source of decreased productivity, decreased quality of life, and disruption in overall sleep and restfulness. There are many possible causes of nasal obstruction, including allergies, viral upper respiratory infections, nasal/sinus infections, or even very rarely sinonasal malignancies. Primarily, nasal obstruction is a factor of three sites that work together within the nose to create resistance to nasal airflow.

Most people associate allergy season with the Spring, but just because the pollen isn’t present doesn’t mean the sniffles aren’t.

Hay fever, despite its name, actually has nothing to do with hay. Ragweed is a common cause of hay fever/allergic rhinitis. Ragweed begins to pollinate in mid-August and will continue provoking allergy symptoms through the fall until a hard freeze. Allergy shots, sublingual allergy drops or dissolvable ragweed tablet are beneficial for patients who struggle with ragweed, helping to build immunologic tolerance to pollen.

When most people think of Spring they think of flowers blooming, birds chirping and sunny day ahead, but for millions… their thoughts turn to congestion, runny noses, itchy eyes or endless sneezes. They have what are known as seasonal allergies. Allergy symptoms are caused by a hypersensitive response to an otherwise harmless substance and not all allergies are the same.