Indy Standard

• Pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau began experiencing dizzy spells at the 2020 Masters.

• After meeting with a Dallas ENT specialist, DeChambeau learned that his vertigo was caused by a blocked nasal passage.

• After sinus surgery, DeChambeau found that his dizziness went away, his thoughts were clearer, he could speak better and his energy levels were higher.

Sinusitis can cause a number of ailments, ranging from facial pain to depression, and local doctor, Anthony Sanders, of the Indianapolis Sinus Center discussed the impact it can have on a person’s way of life.

"I think because it's such a chronic condition in most people and it also impacts their quality of life, I find that very gratifying, to be able to help people out of what's otherwise just a really chronic, nagging, nuisance problem,” Sanders told Indy Standard. “Sinusitis is typically associated with headaches, facial pain and pressure, sometimes pain and pressure in the teeth. The reason you feel that in your teeth is (because) the maxillary sinuses are right above (the teeth). Sometimes the dental routine can extend into the maxillary sinus, and the nerves to those teeth come right through that region as well. So that's very common.”

Sinusitis is a condition that affects millions of people, and that includes professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau. According to LIV Golf, DeChambeau started getting dizzy spells while playing at the Masters in 2020, and after spending two years trying to find the cause, he went through a full-body scan. This resulted in finding a cyst in his left maxillary sinus, and then he met with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist.

The doctor told DeChambeau that the cyst was limiting his air flow in his nasal passage and not letting him get enough oxygen. He had low nitric oxide levels, leading him to become dizzy.

DeChambeau had sinus surgery to remove the cyst and improve his nasal passages. For the following three to four days, he had to breathe through his mouth, which he said led to a sore throat. However, with time, DeChambeau could breathe properly for the first time in years.

“To get that fixed, it’s been the greatest decision of my life,” DeChambeau told LIV Golf. “My energy level is so much better. My clarity of thought is way better. I don’t know if you can tell, but my speech is a lot more fluent, and I’m not stopping as much or pitching as much like I used to last year and before. I feel like I’m back to 2018 me.”

At the beginning of 2018, DeChambeau was ranked 99th, but a series of wins big wins led to him finishing out the year in 5th place.

According to the University of Washington School of Medicine, the inflammation that comes with chronic sinusitis can lead to depression and difficulty concentrating. The Cleveland Clinic says that chronic sinusitis sufferers can experience low energy levels, facial pain, decreased sense of taste and smell, congestion, coughing and nasal discharge.

If you're interested in learning more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.