How to Diagnose Sinus Problems

As anyone who watches House can tell you, diagnosis is both an art and a science.  The art is sussing out just the right details from a patient in distress; sometimes the symptoms we think of as inconsequential can help unlock the underlying cause.  The science is applying this information carefully to the universe of all possibilities, checking each symptom against the prevailing theory until a winner emerges.

The best way to diagnose your sinus symptoms is in consultation with an expert ENT.  At the Los Angeles Sinus Institute, we start with a simple form for patients to fill out before they arrive.  It checks in on some major areas of concern – congestion, nasal drip, pain/pressure, allergies.  Armed with this baseline report, we can then begin a conversation about your specific symptoms and how they are affecting your life.

Different problems tend to evince different clusters of symptoms.  Nasal polyps can feel different from sinusitis, which typically feels different from a migraine.  (Although not always!)  A good sinus consultation involves plenty of questions, but also plenty of listening.  Nobody understands the torment you are going through better than you, so it is essential to find a sinus doctor who can hear and understand your experience in a subjective way.

The final step of good sinus diagnosis is testing and confirmation.  Allergies can be confirmed through a skin test, sinusitis can be cultured for various bacteria; obstructions will often show up on a sinus CT scan.  The important part is to get all the information you possibly can so that your treatment is focused and effective.  To learn more about sinus diagnosis and sinus surgery, please contact my Los Angeles sinus surgery offices today.

Tags: allergies, diagnose sinus issues, diagnose sinus problems, ent, los angeles sinus surgery, nasal polyps, sinusitis