NE Valley Times

• People who suffer from chronic sinusitis are at risk of developing erectile dysfunction.
• Medications such as Sudafed and other decongestants can also cause erectile dysfunction.
• New treatment options, such as balloon sinuplasty, are available for patients with chronic sinusitis.

Dr. Franklyn Gergits of Sinus & Allergy Wellness Center said people who suffer from chronic sinusitis could be at risk of developing erectile dysfunction.

"Sex life and blood flow to the organs can be negatively impacted if the sinuses and nasal cavity are chronically inflamed," Gergits told the NE Valley Times. "Inflammation can cause blood vessels to restrict or constrict instead of being dilated. If that happens, that means there's not the best blood flow to any part of the brain or the body."

The National Institutes of Health defines erectile dysfunction as "the inability to attain and maintain an erection of sufficient quality to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse.” The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports that it affects approximately 5% of men in the U.S.. A study of data from more than 1 million people from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) found that chronic sinusitis is associated with increased risk of erectile dysfunction.

"Sometimes erectile dysfunction or other forms of sexual dysfunction can occur when inflammatory processes take place inside the body," Gergits said. "One of the more common areas of that inflammation can be the nasal cavity in the sinuses."

Yahoo Sports published a report from Kaohsiung University in Taiwan, saying that men who suffer from chronic sinusitis are as much as 50% more likely to be impotent than men who don't. The study found that when sinusitis inflames the lining of the sinus cavity, it causes blood vessels in the genitals to restrict blood flow.

In addition to the problems caused by sinusitis, a report by Men's Journal stated that using medication such as Sudafed or other decongestants for sinus symptoms can cause erectile dysfunction.

According to the NHIRD report, treating sinusitis surgically has significantly decreased erectile dysfunction in patients.

Two such options are endoscopy and balloon sinuplasty. According to WebMD, endoscopy is a common practice in which a doctor inserts thin, flexible instruments called endoscopes into the nose, which send images to a screen, allowing the doctor to see where the sinuses are blocked and guide medical instruments to remove polyps, scar tissue, and other blockages.  

Endoscopy is often done with a local anesthetic, meaning the area is numbed but the patient stays awake during the process. There are no incisions into the skin, so recovery is usually relatively easy and quick.

Another treatment option is balloon sinuplasty, which is a good choice for those who don't need anything removed from their sinuses. In balloon sinuplasty,  the doctor puts a thin tube with a small balloon attached into the nose. The doctor then guides the balloon to the blocked area and inflates it. The balloon helps clear the sinus passages, alleviating congestion and allowing the patient to breathe more clearly.

If you're interested in learning more about diagnosis or treatment of chronic sinusitis, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.