Anderson Reporter

• Untreated sinusitis can result in complications that affect many parts of the body, aside from just the nose.

• Bad breath is a common problem that sinusitis suffers have to deal with due to nasal drainage and mouth breathing.

• There are minimally invasive treatment options available that can treat sinusitis.

Bad breath is one of the many complications that can evolve from sinusitis, but there are treatment options that can improve or solve the problem. Dr. Anthony Sanders of Indianapolis Sinus Center says that patients can get relief from their symptoms successfully by having a balloon sinuplasty.

"Success rates are excellent, and most people do get good resolution of their symptoms to their satisfaction," Sanders told Anderson Reporter. "The beauty of the balloon sinus procedure is that people tend to not have much disruption of normal nasal function, so they tend to have noses that work normally. They breathe better. They tend not to have issues with dryness or sounding different or the change in the resonance of the voice that sometimes goes along with endoscopic sinus surgery. So generally, they recover quickly."

Physical symptoms of chronic sinusitis can include nasal inflammation, a runny nose, postnasal drainage, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore threat, bad breath or fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic.

People who suffer from chronic sinus problems are more likely to breathe through their mouths, but mouth breathing can lead to oral health issues, including bad breath, according to Cleveland Clinic. Breathing through the mouth disrupts the regular flow of saliva, which typically plays a role in keeping your mouth clean.

Scotland's National Health Service recommends that people experiencing sinusitis symptoms that aren't improving for more than a week should see a physician.

An ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist might recommend a saline solution or over-the-counter medication, and if those don't help symptoms improve, the doctor might prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If those treatments do not resolve the sinusitis symptoms, the ENT specialist might recommend a sinus procedure.

There are sinusitis treatment options available that are safe, nonsurgical and minimally invasive. One of these options is known as a balloon sinuplasty, in which doctors insert a guide wire equipped with a small balloon into the nostrils and navigate it to the area of blockage, according to Nuffield Health. The balloon is then gently inflated enough to open the sinuses. These passageways being open lead to patients being able to breathe better and achieving a greater quality of life.