Doctor Column

COMPLICATIONS OF SINUSITIS — RHINOSINUSITIS

Rhinosinusitis is an infection or inflammation of the nose and sinus. Since the introduction of antibiotics, the incidence of rhinosinusitis has decreased dramatically over the years. With the abuse of antibiotics, using them in cases where they are not indicated, there has been an alarming increase in the appearance of superbugs. The antibiotics that once worked against bacteria of certain infectious diseases no longer work against these superbugs.

ADULT SINUSITIS — RHINOSINUSITIS. TEN (“10”) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Part A

“I have a miserable sinus headache, Doc. My sinuses are killing me. My teeth hurt, the left side of my face is tender, I can’t breathe through my nose and awful stuff is coming out of my nose.” You’re not alone. Millions of adults (18 years and older) suffer from sinusitis at a cost of billions of dollars. Sinusitis affects about one in eight adults and costs over 11 billion dollars a year to treat.

“Thinning” the Blood to Prevent a Stroke from Atrial Fibrillation Part I

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant cause of stroke. The lack of contractility from the upper chambers of the heart (atria) lead to pooling of the blood with resultant “clot “ (thrombus) formation. Should even small elements of these clots disperse, and embolize to the brain: the result is a stroke. The latter can be a catastrophic event in a patient and their families lives. Most often, patients are left with a loss of function speech, vision, cognitive abilities , ability to use an arm, leg etc.