NE Valley Times

• Chronic sinusitis can lead to snoring.

• Snoring can cause other medical issues, including higher risk for heart attacks and strokes.

• A balloon sinuplasty can fix chronic sinus problems.  

Chronic sinus problems can contribute to snoring, which in turn can lead to daytime fatigue, headaches, nighttime chest pain and morning sore throats, according to Kaplan Sinus Relief. 

Snoring is not something anyone wants to deal with a nightly basis, but what are you supposed to do if you’re a regular snorer? Balloon sinuplasty could be the answer.

"Oftentimes, we see patients who come in and might have a problem breathing through their nose,” Dr. Franklyn Gergits of the Sinus & Allergy Wellness Center of North Scottsdale told NE Valley Times. “After we take care of their nasal and sinus issues, they realize that maybe they were living with a low-grade, underlying daily headache that they never realized was present until it was gone.”

Snoring is the body’s response when you’re unable to breathe properly through your nose while sleeping. This can result from inflamed or infected sinuses. Breathing through the mouth while sleeping causes the airways to narrow and the soft tissues in the throat to vibrate, causing the snoring sound, according to Kaplan Sinus Relief. 

Other factors that might cause people to snore include drinking alcohol, taking muscle-relaxing sedatives, certain hormones caused by pregnancy or being overweight, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Snoring over a long period of time can lead to health problems, including a lower blood oxygen level, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. 

Gergits said the balloon sinuplasty procedure can resolve symptoms that are associated with sinus problems. 

“(The patients) find out after we take care of their nasal problems that the upcoming allergy season actually is easier than it was in the past, or their quality of sleep gets better,” Gergits said. “There are so many different variables that we can approach to help patients. (Treatment improves their) quality of life, and they can get back to their normal daily routines without having to worry about all those problems that we associate with nasal/sinus troubles."

Balloon sinuplasty can have lasting effects on snoring that is caused by chronic sinus problems. The procedure typically lasts approximately 20 minutes, during which an ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician inserts a tiny balloon into your nasal sinuses and inflates it. This allows the sinuses to open up and helps you breathe more easily. The procedure is minimally invasive, pain-free and done in the office. 

Before finding out if this outpatient procedure is right for you, Kaplan recommends at-home remedies such as sleeping on your side, sleeping with your head elevated or using nasal strips.

If you're interested in learning more about sinus and allergy symptoms, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.