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Sinusitis Treatment
All of the physicians at North Fulton ENT are well-versed in the latest treatments, both medical and surgical, for acute and chronic sinusitis. Especially in Atlanta, with its overall poor air quality and tremendous allergy environment, acute and chronic sinusitis are leading causes of visits to the physicians in our practice. All of our physicians were trained during the “endoscopic” era of sinus surgery, by some of the leading innovators in the nation. Furthermore, they have all completed advanced training courses dealing with the latest in medical and surgical treatment for sinusitis.
Evaluation and diagnosis
During your visit to North Fulton ENT, your physician will take a careful history of your current and past sinus-related problems. After this is done, a complete head and neck examination will be done, with its emphasis on the nasal passages. If improved visualization of the nasal cavities is needed, a fiberoptic endoscope can be introduced into the nose after topical anaesthesia is administered, further delineating causes of sinusitis which are often not visible to the physician during a routine examination. If further evaluation is needed, our office will arrange (and precertify with your insurance, if needed) a CT scan of your sinuses to be reviewed by your treating physician.
Drug therapy
The most common forms of medical therapy for sinusitis include topical and systemic decongestants, nasal and/or oral steroids, antihistamines, and antibiotic therapy. Refer to our therapy recommendations for upper respiratory infections for additional information. There are several routes of delivery for antibiotics, and your physician at North Fulton ENT is well-versed in each of these modalities. For most people, oral antibiotics are the preferred route. Other options include antibiotic sprays, nebulized antibiotics, and even intravenous antibiotics. Our physicians work very closely with Sinucare, a compounding pharmacy and leader in intravenous antibiotic therapy. Patients on intravenous therapy will have their antibiotic regimen prescribed by a board-certified infectious disease physician, and they can often self-administer nearly all of their medications after a period of instruction and observation from the Registered Nurses working with Sinucare. Sinucare even provides continuous 24-hour nursing coverage for any patient experiencing difficulties with their therapy, and of course physician coverage is provided in the same manner by our group. Feel free to explore the Sinucare Web site if you wish to further investigate this option.
Endoscopic sinus surgery
Unfortunately, not all patients will respond to nonsurgical forms of therapy for the treatment of sinusitis. As stated above, all of our physicians are extensively trained in the most advanced techniques of endoscopic sinus surgery. They also are trained with the latest image-guidance systems available. These are very sophisticated imaging techniques which will provide your surgeon with an intraoperative “3-D” image of your sinuses, and they can be extremely helpful in revision or particularly difficult primary surgical cases. You will be provided with extensive instructions regarding your postoperative care if you require endoscopic sinus surgery and close followup in the office until maximal improvement has been achieved.
If you or someone you know has acute or chronic sinusitis, feel free to arrange a consultation with one of our four board-certified physicians who can help you through the maze of therapeutic modalities available to treat this pervasive medical condition.
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