Do you have chronic sinusitis?  Does your nose drip all the time?  Do you have

• Facial pain/pressure,
• decreased or inability to smell,
• nasal drainage, and
• nasal obstruction?

When 2 or 4 symptoms are present, chronic rhinosinusitis is present. chronic part means that symptoms have occurred for more than 12 weeks.

Treatment is directed at helping the clearance of secretions in the nose, improving sinus drainage, and decreasing local infection and inflammation.

1. First-line treatment is nasal saline irrigation (found at pharmacies and called a Neti-Pot) and
2. intranasal corticosteroid sprays (of which fluticasone is now available over the counter).
3. Antibiotics may help if there is evidence of an active, superimposed acute sinus infection.
4. If treatment does not help, then a consult with an ear,nose,throat doctor may help.

They may perform endoscopy (a small tube put in the nose to look at the structures inside the nose, sinuses, and the back of the throat). For patients who have other conditions such as inflammation of the blood vessels, cystic fibrosis, or immunodeficiencies, an allergist or pulmonologist may also be of help.