Grand Canyon Times

• Sinusitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungus and allergies. 
• Symptoms of sinusitis often include yellow or green nasal drainage, facial pressure and pain, nasal congestion, bad breath, coughing up mucus, and in some cases, fever and chills.
• When sinusitis persists for more than three months, it is classified as chronic sinusitis.

Statistically, women may be more susceptible to sinus issues and sinusitis compared to men. According to Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center, sinusitis can affect someone’s life in many ways.

“I think most people that don't have issues with their nose or sinuses have no idea how detrimental it is,” Dr. Lee told the Grand Canyon Times. “For the unfortunate millions of people that are suffering with chronic sinus issues, all of these sinus issues have trickled down into every facet of their life because when you're not breathing through your nose, you're not sleeping well and then you don't have the proper energy and you feel foggy all the time. 

Unfortunately, this happens kind of slowly and chronically, and people accept this as the new norm and figure, well, most people are like this, or this is just kind of the way it is and something they got to live with. Luckily that's not the case and there are a lot of easy simple things we can do to really improve their quality of life.”

Nasal inflammation, also referred to as sinusitis, involves the inflammation or swelling of the sinus lining, according to the American Sinus Institute. This condition can obstruct air passages, leading to increased mucus production and the potential for infection. It's a relatively common issue, often triggered by something as ordinary as the common cold.

Sinusitis tends to affect women more than men, according to JNJ Med Tech. It is estimated that sinusitis affects 16% of women each year, compared to 10% of men. Overall, chronic sinusitis affects 35 million people per year. 

Gender differences can also influence the symptoms experienced as a result of sinusitis. According to the Consequences of Chronic Rhinosinusitis on Blood Pressure study, it was concluded that 2% of men and 4% of women who experience inflammation of sinus also experience a significant increase in blood pressure, especially in patient groups over 50 years of age.

While there is no consensus on why women experience sinusitis more frequently than men, several theories have emerged. Some researchers propose that women's greater willingness to report symptoms and seek medical care may contribute to this discrepancy. Additionally, factors such as differences in tobacco susceptibility, hormonal influences, and smaller sinus ostia have been speculated to increase women's overall susceptibility to sinusitis.

According to Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy's website, Dr. Brian Lee graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed his internship and residency in otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) at the University of Southern California. Dr. Lee was named one of the Valley's "Top Doctors" by Phoenix Magazine in 2015 and 2016.