When it comes to your allergies, understanding which treatment is right for you will depend on the severity of your symptoms and what kind of allergy you are dealing with. When considering medical care, it’s important to understand all of your options and understand exactly how they work in order to make the best decision on which treatment would work best for you.
Let your local McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz and his team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group, provide you with a list of treatment options to manage those pesky symptoms.
The best way to avoid allergies before taking medication is to try your best to steer clear from whatever may trigger your symptoms. This helps to prevent issues before they even begin and curb your need for medications.
Some ways to accomplish this is by getting rid of the source of allergies, whether it be an issue within your home, a pet, or flowers in your garden that add to the problem.
Some people choose not to take medications because they feel as if their symptoms aren’t that serious. You may be telling yourself it’s just your allergies, but ignoring them can lead to even bigger, more painful issues like sinus or ear infections.
However, it’s not a risk worth taking.
There are plenty of safe, over-the-counter medications to alleviate allergy symptoms. These include, but are not limited to:
There are two types of immunotherapy: allergy shots and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT).
Allergy shots, also referred to as subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT), involve getting injections of allergies in increasing doses over time. It will help you become progressively less sensitive to your allergy.
Allergy shots can be most effective for those who suffer from allergies caused by pollen, pets, dust, bees or other stinging insects. This treatment alters the immune system, making it strong enough to prevent the development of new allergies and asthma.
Allergy tablets are a form of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) that treat particular allergies without shots and are placed beneath the tongue. The tablets work in the same way as shots, as they tone down symptoms by helping the body defend itself against allergies. FDA-approved SLIT tablets are designed to treat allergies to ragweed, grass pollen, and dust mites.
However, what sets tablets aside from shots is that they do not prevent the possibility of new allergies and asthma from developing.
If these options do not provide you relief, or your symptoms worsen, you may want to see if you’re eligible for a procedure performed in our office called balloon sinuplasty. The purpose of the balloon sinuplasty procedure is to expand your sinus passageways. Balloon sinuplasty is an effective, lasting option for patients with symptoms that haven’t been resolved with medication.
The balloon sinuplasty procedure doesn’t require general anesthesia, and in most cases, patients are able to go about their normal activities within 24 hours.
These treatment options should be useful, but in order to determine the ideal treatment for your specific symptoms, you can count on the sinus relief team at Glatz Group to guide you in the process for a healthier tomorrow.
Our sinus cavities are intricate structures that protect our nasal cavity from dirt, dust, pollutants, and micro-organisms by producing mucus to, in a sense, help flush them out. While these cavities are usually empty, they can get blocked up to the point where the mucus can’t properly drain, causing congestion with fluid that eventually leads to sinus infections, also known as sinusitis.
Gently touching your face near an infected sinus cavity can be a painful, uncomfortable feeling, but there are specific treatments you can use to alleviate sinusitis before it causes further complications.
Today, our local McAllen ENT Dr. Frank R. Glatz, certified physician assistant Jonathan Lerma, and the dedicated team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group are looking into the causes of sinusitis and what you can do to ease your symptoms.
A sinus headache is oftentimes one of the most common symptoms of a sinus infection. When this happens, you can feel both pressure and pain behind your cheekbones and around your eyes. Other telltale symptoms and signs of a sinus infection can be nasal discharge with a yellow or green color, an unpleasant taste in your mouth, and fever.
Sinusitis is often the result of either a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection. Despite it being a common condition, there are certain people that have greater chances of getting it, usually anyone that has:
It is also worth noting that there are two types of sinus infections: chronic and acute sinusitis. These two share similar symptoms, where chronic sinus infections may last for up to 12 weeks and can recur several times a year. Acute sinusitis is normally a temporary infection that most likely came after a cold and can last around 2 to 4 weeks.
Good hygiene, maintaining clear and moist sinuses, and treating symptoms right away with over-the-counter nasal sprays and decongestants can help lessen the severity and time of the infection. At the same time, procedures like a balloon sinuplasty at your McAllen ENT can help open the sinus cavity openings to help your body flush them out more efficiently.
While it may be difficult for you to figure out if your sinusitis was the result of bacteria, virus, or fungus, there are some ways you can relieve some of the symptoms in the comfort of your own home. Some of these methods include:
In the vast majority of cases, sinusitis can go away by itself, but there are definitely instances when you should see your ENT doctor to treat your sinus infection if self-care options don’t do the trick.
It’s best to see a doctor if you’re still facing sinusitis symptoms after a week has passed, if the symptoms worsen, or if they come back to haunt you more than a few occasions within a year. You should also pay a visit to your doctor if your sinus problems are a hindrance to your day-to-day life and the things you enjoy.
However, be on the lookout for fever, an increase or spread of pain, ineffective over-the-counter pain medications, and an increase in nasal discharge, as these are all signs of your sinusitis worsening. Should this happen, visit your sinus relief specialists at Glatz Group as soon as possible. There, we can help guide your sinusitis treatment and explore if balloon sinuplasty can help you overcome this type of infection in the future, especially if you suffer from chronic sinusitis.
Seasonal allergens throughout the United States usually taper off during the winter months, but in Texas, the opposite is true. In fact, McAllen was ranked the worst city in the U.S. because of allergens in 2018, causing individuals that live here to suffer from chronic sinusitis.
You may have a hard time breathing through your nose, and the area around your eyes may feel swollen or tender. Before trying to google and self-diagnose you or your loved one’s symptoms, however, let our McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, and his team of sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group give you the run-down on what chronic sinusitis is, and how it affects you.
Chronic sinusitis occurs when the spaces inside your nose and head--called your sinuses--swell up and are inflamed for three months or longer. This common inflammatory condition prevents mucus from draining properly, thus making your nasal passages congested. In fact, several different causes can attribute to the development of chronic sinusitis, such as:
Be on the lookout for any the following symptoms if you suspect you are currently suffering from chronic sinusitis:
The aforementioned symptoms are not the only key factors to consider during a diagnosis. Other signs and symptoms to consider include:
Chronic sinusitis is often confused with acute sinusitis, as they have similar signs and symptoms. An easy way to distinguish between the two is to remember that acute sinusitis is a temporary infection of the sinuses usually associated with a cold, while the signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis last at least 12 weeks.
Though you may face several episodes of acute sinusitis before developing chronic sinusitis, fever isn't a common sign of chronic sinusitis. You may get one with acute sinusitis.
If any of these symptoms hit close to home for you or your loved one, you’re probably wondering what the next step to take is. Before our trusted ENT can recommend treatment for your condition, he needs to run a diagnosis along with a number of tests that examine your nose with a small, nasal endoscope that lets him look for mechanical obstruction, redness, swelling, and sinus drainage.
If you or your loved one have tried using antibiotics and found them to be ineffective, you may need to consider treatment. Steroids can be more helpful when it comes to treating chronic sinusitis, as they reduce the swelling that leads to nasal and sinus blockage. Nevertheless, many patients require a more effective solution that provides longer-lasting relief. That is where we come in.
Balloon sinuplasty technology is used to treat chronic sinusitis, especially for patients whose symptoms were not resolved with medication. Not only is it a minimally-invasive treatment option, but it also can be performed by our very own McAllen ENT, Dr. Glatz, right in our office.
Chronic sinusitis doesn’t just affect your nasal function; it compromises your quality of life. Most patients are able to go back to their daily lives within 24 hours after the treatment, making balloon sinuplasty a popular choice for sinus relief.
If your past year has been full of sinus pain, massive headaches, and stuffy noses due to chronic sinus infections, now’s the time to be proactive and avoid another year of discomfort.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology, Americans spend roughly more than $1 billion every year on over-the-counter medications to treat their sinus infection (sinusitis). Sinus infections are also accountable for 16 million doctor visits and $150 million spent on prescription medications.
While treatment via allergy medications or nasal surgeries may be viable options, balloon sinuplasty is typically the best, cost-effective method to get the long-term relief you are looking for in the new year. Count on Dr. Frank R. Glatz of the Glatz Group, a dedicated and trustworthy McAllen ENT, to explain the three reasons why December is the ideal time to have this procedure.
Balloon sinuplasty, also commonly referred to as the smart sinus practice, is usually most recommended to those who experience chronic sinusitis, which can be a real pain in the nose. It is a brief and easy process where an ENT dilates or enlarges the natural openings of your sinuses through the employment of a tube-like device that then inflates a tiny balloon inside your sinus passages.
Once the doctor deflates and retrieves the balloon, the sinuses stay open to let fluid drain and allow more air to flow through. The results of this procedure will last much longer than if you were to receive traditional nasal surgery. In addition, there is less bleeding, scarring, and post-operative pain with a balloon sinuplasty when compared with the alternative.
In fact, most people are able to go back to their daily lives within a day or two, just in time for some holiday shopping and festive celebrations.
Winter months in McAllen leave us more prone to getting colds and other viruses as the season starts to get colder and we spend more time indoors than normal--especially with January being the coolest month of the year in Texas.
Getting balloon sinuplasty ahead of the new year would decrease the magnitude of sinus infections throughout the year since it would open up the sinus passageways and allow drainage caused by allergens, bacteria, or viruses to have an easier time passing through.
Other reasons to think about having this simple balloon sinuplasty include:
If you want to evaluate if balloon sinuplasty would be the best option to treat your chronic sinusitis or other nasal conditions, visit our McAllen ENT doctor of the Glatz Group to see if you qualify for balloon sinuplasty. If eligible, balloon sinuplasty can be safely administered by our ENT doctor and staff in our very own office.
There are many myths surrounding balloon sinuplasty that make it harder for patients to get the help that they truly need. In truth, this method avoids the use of invasive surgical tools and techniques that cut and/or remove tissue or break bone, letting the recipient recover quickly with minimal pain, if any.
However, with newer technology and techniques come fantastical myths about why one should avoid them. Today, your friendly McAllen ENT, Dr. Frank R. Glatz of the Glatz Group, is debunking these myths to determine if getting a balloon sinuplasty is right for you.
Fact: Balloon sinuplasty is one of the most routinely performed sinus surgeries, where approximately 535,000 people have been treated using this procedure worldwide since it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005. Balloon sinuplasty continues to become the preferred method of sinus relief, as a 2017 study conducted by the Oakland Medical Center revealed that this procedure increased significantly in usage by an average of 59 percent between 2011 through 2014.
While it is a breakthrough alternative to traditional sinus surgeries, it certainly isn’t an experimental procedure.
Fact: No. Most patients see no external changes as a result of their balloon sinuplasty. Since the procedure doesn’t involve any cutting, less than 0.1 percent of cases see complications. It also won’t result in any bruising, discoloration, or black eyes.
Fact: Before the small, latex-free balloon is inserted, your sinus doctor will administer either a local or general anesthetics in an effort to eliminate any pain during this safe procedure. After the procedure, your sinus doctor may recommend an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory to help with any mild discomfort or irritation.
Because this procedure doesn’t cut into your sinuses or cause a lot of bleeding, there is no need to pack gauze into your nasal cavity as well--a process that can cause significant pain and pressure in patients when removing.
Fact: Most patients only need one to two days for recovery before they are ready to return to their regular activities; however, many other sinus or nasal surgeries involve a long and painful recovery period, often requiring weeks to months of recovery time.
With a balloon sinuplasty, there is no need to visit an operating room, stay overnight at the hospital, or enter any kind of rehabilitation program. This innovation of nasal relief is an in-and-out type of procedure.
Fact: Balloon sinuplasty is highly effective, so much so that most patients who undergo this procedure report significant improvement and have no need to repeat it. If a patient does return, often it is to perform the procedure on other sinus openings that weren’t previously treated.
While some other nasal surgeries can cause scarring that may need to be revisited in further surgeries, this isn’t a necessity with balloon sinuplasty.
Fact: Balloon sinuplasty is an in-office, non-invasive procedure that avoids all of the other charges and expenses that would be present on a standard hospital bill.
Because of this, its cost is significantly lower than that of traditional sinus surgeries. It doesn’t require a hospital stay and is covered by most private insurance companies as well as Medicare.
In order to determine if you are a good candidate for a balloon sinuplasty, set up a consultation with our sinus relief specialists at the Glatz Group. While you may be a candidate for the procedure, certain nasal conditions or restrictions may prevent you from having the procedure performed.
For individuals that live with chronic sinusitis, excruciating symptoms that can make a significant impact on their breathing affect their lives daily. In fact, about 30 million individuals are affected by sinusitis on a yearly basis.
When antibiotics and nasal sprays just won’t deliver you adequate results, balloon sinuplasty is the solution that properly drains your sinuses, providing relief to facial pain and pressure and allowing you to breathe freely again.
While just reading the words “procedure” or “surgery” can raise alarms and frighten you, the McAllen sinus doctor at the Glatz Group, Dr. Frank R. Glatz, wants to ease your fears and anxieties about balloon sinuplasty by explaining the basics of the procedure and what to expect as you recover from it.
Balloon sinuplasty is a relatively short, simple yet effective, and safe procedure that can be administered in our McAllen office by our trusted ENT doctor and specialists. When sinusitis causes one’s nasal cavities to become inflamed and/or swollen, they cannot properly drain out mucus as intended.
The goal behind balloon sinuplasty is to slightly alter these inflamed cavities with a small balloon-like device that inflates in order to open up the pathways without the need to perform surgery that extracts tissue or bone.
Before he or she begins, your doctor will administer the right dosage of general or local anesthesia before the procedure to ensure you don’t feel much pain, if any, during the operation.
In comparison to your traditional nasal surgeries, the recovering period from undergoing balloon sinuplasty is a quick process. The procedure only takes about an hour to perform on average, and because there are no tissues or bone removed, patients can resume regular scheduled daily activities as soon as the following day!
Getting behind the wheel after the procedure is done isn’t recommended. Because the procedure employs the use of general, injection, or topical anesthesia administered beforehand, the patient must plan accordingly and make sure a designated driver, such as a relative or friend, is able to drive them back home safely following the procedure.
While specific recovery periods do vary on the patient, it is strongly advised to follow the doctor’s orders when resting, rinsing, and sticking to medication schedules. It is important to take any antibiotics that you were given until the prescription’s completion and to use other medications prescribed to you as directed for their full duration. You may also be prescribed a saline solution designed to lubricate and help heal for three to seven days after the procedure.
Also, avoid blowing your nose within the first 24 hours after the procedure. Your sinuses will still be extremely sensitive as it restores its cavities back to normal function. You may experience swelling, nasal congestion, and potential nosebleeds after you get out and all these symptoms are completely normal and temporary. However, if you feel these symptoms recurring for more than 2 days, please do not hesitate to call us for further guidance.
Straining yourself at work or at home shortly after a balloon sinuplasty can elevate your heart rate, and that isn’t ideal for your healing tissues and underlying structures because elevated blood pressure worsens bleeding.
Since the sinus area is still rather tender after a procedure, any extra pressure that is applied while doing strenuous activities can do significant damage to the tissues and underlying structures that are healing after a balloon sinuplasty.
While the idea of a nasal procedure might sound intimidating at first, don’t worry. This efficient procedure is less painful than other nasal surgeries and procedures by miles, and the recovery period is truly brief--days, not weeks.
At the Glatz Group, we work hard to ensure that balloon sinuplasty will be one of the best decisions you’ve made for your well-being. If you are tired of living with sinusitis or other sinus issues, contact our McAllen sinus doctor at the Glatz Group to see if you are an eligible candidate for balloon sinuplasty.
About 30 million Americans suffer from what is known as “Sinusitis” on a yearly basis. Sinusitis occurs when your nasal pathways become inflamed and/or swollen due to the exposure to allergens, bacteria, or viruses.
Some of the symptoms of chronic sinusitis include anywhere from not being able to breathe nor smell through your nose, irritation within your throat causing teeth pain, and bad breath, having abnormal mucus spreading around to even experiencing physical pain throughout your entire face.
Today, with a little guidance from our Pharr sinus doctor, Dr. Frank R. Glatz of the Glatz Group, we’re taking a look into what leads to chronic sinusitis and why you should consider the procedure known as balloon sinuplasty instead of other nasal surgeries.
A person’s sinuses are an intricate ecosystem; however, when allergens, foreign bacteria, or viruses are introduced, it can cause the inner linings of the sinuses to become inflamed. The resulting congestion can prevent mucus from flushing it out of the sinus cavities, trapping unwanted bacteria in your sinuses where they can grow and cause severe infections and chronic pain.
In fact, there are many causes that lead to developing chronic sinusitis. Some of the most notable ones include:
Perhaps the most efficient way to treat severe chronic sinusitis cases would be to undergo a procedure known as balloon sinuplasty.
Balloon sinuplasty is a quick, safe procedure that is designed to reshape the blocked sinus passageways via a small balloon in order to open up the sinus cavities without having to remove any bone or tissue.
An ENT doctor utilizes a tube-like device that inflates a small balloon inside the nasal openings of one, a few, or all sinus cavities, slightly altering them in order to open up and ultimately improve drainage function.
While it is not designed to completely fix all of your sinus issues forever, it will provide the most long-term relief in comparison to traditional nasal surgeries.
When it comes to specific sinus problems, there are three other main traditional nasal procedures that can be done in specific cases.
While every procedure includes its fair share of risks, balloon sinuplasty can be the most efficient and safest procedure in comparison to other nasal surgeries listed above. For traditional nasal procedures:
And in the more severe cases:
Balloon sinuplasty, on the other hand, is better in comparison because:
It is worth noting that not everyone might be able to qualify for balloon sinuplasty treatment. Speak with our sinus relief specialists to see if balloon sinuplasty will help you.
In order to determine if balloon sinuplasty would be the best option to treat your chronic sinusitis or other nasal conditions, schedule an appointment with the Pharr sinus doctor of the Glatz Group. Once you arrive at your scheduled appointment, our sinus relief specialists will examine your current symptoms and run the necessary tests.
If eligible, balloon sinuplasty can be safely administered by our ENT doctors and staff right in our office.
Sinusitis is one of the most common types of nasal-infections in the United States with an average of 30 million cases per year. Sinusitis occurs when your sinus lining becomes infected, swollen, and inflamed due to viruses, allergies, or bacteria that you were exposed to.
Rather than your mucus draining out naturally, your sinuses get clogged, which then leads to unwanted germs developing and growing. This ultimately results in sinus infections and the accompanying issues.
While some cases can be acute (temporary), there are many cases that develop into long-term chronic issues, which can lead to excruciating pain.
Thankfully, there is a solution.
The McAllen sinus relief specialists at Glatz Group offer a minimally invasive, FDA-approved procedure known as balloon sinuplasty, which can help to rid you of the symptoms of chronic sinusitis.
Allow our McAllen balloon sinuplasty specialists answer a few of the most common frequently asked questions about the procedure.
A: If you have suffered from any of the following symptoms which have lasted for more than 12 weeks, you may have yourself a case of chronic sinusitis. Please consult a specialist as soon as you can if you have been experiencing any of the following recurring symptoms:
Balloon sinuplasty is a safe and effective procedure that can help to relieve you of the symptoms and pains caused by sinusitis. The procedure is designed to reshape the blocked sinus passageways without needing to remove any bone or tissue.
Just as the name states it, the procedure involves a small balloon attached to a special device. The procedure may be done using general or local anesthesia to render it painless for the patient. Once the patient has been administered anesthesia a thin, flexible tool is inserted into the nasal passage. The tool includes a camera and light which allows the doctor to see exactly where the instrument needs to be used.
At the proper place, the doctor will utilize a small balloon catheter to open up the congested area, restructure the sinus, and restore drainage. The passageways and cavities are flushed with a saline rinse and the balloon is removed to allow the sinus to drain once again.
The procedure is relatively painless and generally takes less than an hour to complete. The procedure has been completed hundreds of thousands of times, is FDA approved, and can be administered in-office by our trustworthy McAllen balloon sinuplasty specialists at the Glatz Group.
While the procedure itself is relatively short and painless, the actual time for recovery does vary from patient to patient. On average, the majority of the time patients can resume their regular activities within 2 days.
After the procedure, patients may feel some swelling but this is normal and will eventually go away.
As far as driving back home after the procedure, it will depend on whether or not you were given some sort of anesthesia.
In order to determine if balloon sinuplasty would be the right move to help with your chronic sinusitis, contact the McAllen sinus relief specialists of the Glatz Group to schedule an appointment with our trusted doctors and staff.
Our specialists will determine if the procedure is right for you based on analyzing your symptoms and will further explain the process, as well as the risks and benefits.
The change of seasons can bring with them a lot more than just cheerful tidings. With fall comes increased counts of spores, pollen, animal dander, chemical fumes, and other harsh environmental irritants. Unfortunately, some people react to these allergens in worse ways than others and begin to develop sinus problems.
Do you need some relief because of seasonal allergies? Count on the experienced sinus relief team at Glatz Group to effectively treat any inflammation of your sinuses due to allergies. At Glatz Group, we treat you with the care you need and a revolutionary solution known as balloon sinuplasty.
Today, we’re going to explore the possibilities of how this procedure can provide nasal relief for those already feeling the effects of the upcoming season.
A balloon sinuplasty is a type of sinus surgery in which your ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT) inserts a small tube into your nose. At the end of this tube, a small balloon is guided through the congested and inflamed areas of your nose.
Here, the ENT inflates the balloon, clearing up your nasal passages and allowing for proper draining. This procedure alleviates painful sinus congestion with little downtime.
Studies on the efficacy and safety of a balloon sinuplasty have shown that this catheter-based surgery is both extremely effective and safe with no reports of adverse effects. The recovery time after this procedure varies per patient; however, many people return back to their daily routine after 24 hours.
The average time it takes to perform a balloon sinuplasty is at least 3 hours, but it does depend on the person. Depending on what your ENT recommends for you, most patients use general anesthesia during this procedure, while others have preferred local anesthesia.
If you have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis and have not improved after taking antibiotics, you may be a candidate for the minimally invasive balloon sinuplasty.
We here at Glatz Group, however, understand that preparing for any type of surgery can be stressful. It’s normal to be apprehensive before getting surgery--even a minimally invasive one--but rest assured that the improvement to your nasal health makes it all worth it.
But don’t take our word for it:
We here at the Glatz Group understand how painful and pestering it can be to live with sinus congestion and a plethora of other ear, nose, and throat issues. We want to help take that weight off your shoulders - -and your sinuses.
