ENT and Sleep Medicine of Dallas
Sinus Overview

Sinus Overview


We have 4 pairs of air filled sinuses in our skull:

  1. Maxillary or cheek sinuses
  2. Frontal or forehead sinuses
  3. Ethmoid or sinuses between our eyes
  4. Sphenoid Sinuses: sinuses behind eyes.

We also have 3 pairs of turbinates, bony ridges in the nasal cavity lined with mucosa. The inferior turbinate is the largest and the most important turbinate from the viewpoint of nasal congestion.

All the sinuses drain into the nose. Think of the nose as the highway and sinuses as the byroads. The turbinates are bony ridges in the nasal cavity lined with mucosa. Mucosa reacts to allergies and infections causing it to swell up and reduce the airflow and nasal secretions.

When the sinuses have infection or disease in them the natural drainage passages are blocked causing congestion, pain and pressure.

We all get sinus Infections on and off. This is especially true if one suffers from allergies or has anatomical abnormalities your sinuses. For the most part the treatment intermittent sinusitis remains medical. treatment of usually antibiotics, steroids, nasal sprays, nasal saline irrigation. We usually do not recommend any procedures or surgical treatment for uncomplicated, infrequent sinusitis that resolves with medical treatment.

By the time a patient approaches us, the sinusitis has been recurrent or persistent, affecting the quality of life of the patient.

A diagnosis of chronic rhino-sinusitis is arrived at as per the Lund–Kennedy criteria (1995) i.e., patients having 8 weeks or more of persistent symptoms and signs of sinusitis, not resolving with 3 weeks of medications or 4 episodes per year or more of recurrent acute sinusitis, each lasting at least 10 days, in association with persistent changes noted on CT sinus scan.


In office Treatment for Sinus


In office procedures are aimed at either opening up the blocked sinus passages using a balloon, called balloon sinuplasty or reduction of the turbinates. Balloon sinuplasty is a relatively simple procedure done in the office under local anesthesia and patient goes home the same day. Turbinate reduction is also done in the clinic under local anesthesia with the aim of reducing the bulk of the turbinate, allowing for better airflow.


Surgical Solutions for Sinus


In cases of complex anatomy, prior sinus procedures and more extensive sinus disease, surgery in the operating room may be a better option.

Surgery usually done under general anesthesia and the goal is to restore the normal sinus drainage pathways. surgeries done endoscopically with no external scars or incisions. Very minimal packing is used and recovery is usually quick.


Home Immunotherapy/ Sublingual Drops


Increase of allergies contributing to nasal congestion and sinus problems, we also offer traditional allergy shots that can be taken home. Usually a skin allergy test is required to identify the specific allergens.

We also offer sublingual allergy treatment for selected allergens.


Open Mon to Fri, 8:00 AM to 5 PM