Ft Worth Times

Inflammation of the sinuses can occur due to a variety of factors, such as allergies, according to a local otolaryngologist.

Dr. Monty Trimble, a sinus inflammation specialist at Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, told the Ft. Worth Times that allergies cause mucosal inflammation and swelling over time that can lead to enlargement of the nasal lining and that can also lead to obstruction of the openings of the sinuses and inflammation within the sinuses themselves.

“Now, one thing that particularly we have in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that seems to be as bad as any place I've lived is non-allergic irritants or pollutants, which definitely potentiate the effects of allergens by breaking down the lining of the nose,” Trimble said. “This is why we have so many people who move here that, six months later, are coming in with nasal and sinus problems. Treating those issues improves the function of the nose, as well as the sinuses. Unfortunately, a lot of times people wait long enough to where it's very hard to reverse the changes that occur inside of the sinuses.”

SteadyHealth reports that sinus inflammation can last for just a few days or up to a month, which is known as acute sinusitis.  

Trimble added that it’s important for people to address exposure-related issues, which allergens can be part of.  

Sinus inflammation can impact the performance of your entire body, along with making daily life tedious, according to SteadyHealth. One manifestation of sinusitis is tooth pain.

“There's probably two basic reasons that people have tooth pain from sinusitis: One, they have an acute sinus infection, and so the actual infection, sitting on top of the nerves to enter into the teeth obviously sensitizes those and make those painful,” Trimble said. “The other thing that often happens when people have -- whether it's acute sinusitis or chronic sinusitis -- is that has a negative impact on breathing through the nose. Having to work harder to breathe through the nose always increases the tendency to grind and clench the teeth, and so a lot of times, people not only have upper tooth pain, but also have lower tooth pain. And the reason is the breathing issue, so obviously if we correct those problems, then it seems like that issue improves significantly."

Evaluate your sinus symptoms and see if you might benefit from seeing a sinus inflammation specialist by taking the Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.