North Richmond Today

• Up to 45 percent of American adults snore, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology.
• One of the possible reasons for snoring is chronic sinusitis.
• A balloon sinuplasty can provide long-lasting effects, which can help end snoring.

Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that can be just as effective as traditional sinus surgery, according to Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.

"It is a fantastic new technique because what studies have shown is that it's as effective as traditional functional endoscopic sinus surgery," Ditto told North Richmond Today. "So I can perform a procedure for a patient and improve their recurrent sinusitis by using a minimally invasive technique, instead of taking them to the operating room under general anesthesia and performing a sinus bone-and-membrane destruction procedure. Here I’m just opening things up, just allowing them to breathe."

In an international consensus statement on allergy and rhinology from Wiley, a multi-institutional case-control study was noted that focused on sleep patterns. This study showed that individuals who suffer from chronic sinusitis have an increased number of awakenings during a nights sleep, as well as spend a greater portion of the night snoring.

Other factors that might cause people to snore include drinking alcohol or taking other muscle-relaxing sedatives, certain hormones caused by pregnancy, or being overweight, according to 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 attack and stroke.

At-home remedies include sleeping on your side, sleeping with your head elevated or using nasal strips. If none of those methods help you stop snoring, a balloon sinuplasty procedure can clear your sinuses for long-lasting relief. The procedure typically lasts approximately 20 minutes, during which an ENT physician will insert a tiny balloon into your nasal sinuses and inflate it, allowing the sinuses to open up and helping you to breathe more easily. The procedure is minimally invasive, pain-free and can be done in the provider's office.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.