Montgomery News

• One of the main triggers of sinusitis is allergies, and summer allergies are right around the corner.
• There are minimally invasive treatment options available to sinusitis sufferers.
• Dr. Stephen Bane and his team at Capitol Breathe Free can help to nip your sinusitis and allergy issues in the bud before they cause you to cancel your summer plans.

Summer is quickly approaching, and it's almost time for traveling, backyard barbecues and, unfortunately for some, sinusitis and allergies. While your symptoms might put a damper on your plans, Dr. Stephen Bane of Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers says his team can help.

"Asthma, allergies and sinusitis are sort of a continuum," he told Montgomery News. "People who have nasal polyps, which are growths in the nose, have blockages. We know they’re related to allergies. People who have allergies frequently have asthma. While one person has allergies and one person has asthma, one person has sinusitis, when it's all a continuum of the same disease. It's all inflammation."

Spring allergies may be on the way out, as trees and flowers are largely finished blooming, but summer allergies caused by weeds and grasses are the next to worry about, according to WebMD. One of the most common triggers in the summer is ragweed, which not only affects the areas in which it grows, but it can travel hundreds of miles on the wind as well.

There are minimally invasive treatment options available, including balloon sinuplasty. A balloon sinuplasty is a simple, in-office procedure that only takes about an hour, according to sinussurgeryoptions.com. The prep lasts about 30 minutes and uses local anesthetic, which is applied to the nose for more comfort. A thin instrument with a balloon attached is then guided through the sinus cavity, and then the balloon is inflated for five seconds with saline, and with the sinuses open, the balloon is removed.

Bane and his team at Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers can treat your sinus issues before they ruin your plans. The clinic offers balloon sinuplasty and other sinus, allergy, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) treatments. Capitol Breathe Free's core values are "integrity, compassion, innovation and teamwork."

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