NC Kentucky News

Patients who suffer from allergies are likely to be struggling even more now that spring has sprung.

Twice a year, the days and nights are exactly the same in length, which is called an equinox. The spring equinox arrived on March 20, but for many who suffer from sinus inflammation or sinus headaches, the allergy season is just ramping up, according to the Farmer's Almanac.

"Allergies cause inflammation," Dr. Daniel Mongiardo of Dr. Daniel Mongiardo Sleep & Sinus Center in Kentucky told NC Kentucky News. "If you've ever stepped outdoors and you have hay fever, your eyes get swollen, and you start sneezing and have watery eyes, well, the same thing happens on the inside. And the sinuses -- think of it as a big room and a very, very small door. Allergies will cause a shutting of that door so air doesn't flow. And if air doesn't flow, bacteria grow in absence of new oxygen. Usually, you won't have recurrent sinusitis, unless you have some type of immunological issue."

Mongiardo says his office is always focused on keeping that door in the sinuses open for patients.

"Sometimes we can treat that with medication that will open up the sinuses, which allows air to flow through," Mongiardo said. "Sometimes all it takes is just irrigating the sinuses with saline to keep the sinuses clear from all the pollens and bacteria. That's a very simple solution with some patients. But when that doesn't work and you have bacterial infections that cause more inflammation and swelling, and we just can't open it with medication, that's when the balloon sinuplasty is very, very effective to stretch that opening. It takes less than 10 seconds per sinus once the nose is decongested and anesthetized with nasal sprays. So it's very, very quick and virtually painless."

Tree pollen is the first offender to bring on sinus inflammation and other symptoms during the month of February. Trees can begin producing pollen as early as January and continue producing into June in some cases. Tree pollen can cause the same allergy symptoms as “spring allergies,” such as sinus inflammation, sneezing, congestion, and itchy, watery eyes, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).

Tree pollen in March becomes more of an issue, but there are added triggers from grasses that may be coming in. Tree, grass and ragweed pollens do particularly well during cool nights and warmer days, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI).

In April, grass pollen emerges and flowers are still in bloom, causing worsening seasonal allergic rhinitis, according to AAFA.

May might bring much of the same. All these conditions are weather-dependent, of course. If the weather is favorable to any particular plant, any one type of pollen might see higher than normal levels, according to ACAAI.

If you have the compounding problems of narrow sinuses and allergies, there are treatment options. To treat narrow sinuses or structural problems, a specialist might recommend balloon sinuplasty. Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that is typically done in a doctor's office, where tiny balloons are inserted into the sinuses to expand the narrow opening, according to Healthline.

If you are suffering from sinus issues and allergies, we welcome you to take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.