East Louisville News

NFL Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk was suffering from a sinus condition, which made his job difficult.

In a YouTube video, the former running back detailed his experience having a balloon sinuplasty procedure. Ear, nose and throat specialists use this procedure to unblock sinuses.

“If I was at work, broadcasting, I started having severe postnasal drip,” he said in the video. “I tell them balloon sinuplasty is a must.”

Balloon sinuplasty is often recommended for people with chronic sinusitis after other home remedies have been ineffective. It has minimal complications because there is no cutting involved. Balloon sinuplasty is still a type of surgery, so there are some risks involved.

The procedure was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 and has become commonly used at sinus specialists' offices, like Dr. Daniel Mongiardo Sleep & Sinus Center, since that time.

Faulk, who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts out of San Diego University, also played several seasons for the St. Louis Rams. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its 2011 class.

“I guess you could call me a football junky. I love it,” he told the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “I am a student of the game. I try to see what is new, what a team is trying to do to stop an offense. I pick up new things. I never get tired of it. I'd play for nothing; I did for years.”

Dr. Daniel Mongiardo and the team at Dr. Daniel Mongiardo Sleep & Sinus Center offer balloon dilation as a first line of defense for patients like Faulk, who struggle with sinusitis getting in the way of living their life.

If you are interested in evaluating your sinus symptoms and are considering seeing a doctor, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.