Indy Standard

• Men who suffer from chronic sinusitis are at an increased risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction.
• Taking cold medication to treat sinusitis can also contribute to erectile dysfunction.
• A surgical treatment option can resolve both the sinusitis as well as its side effects.

Dr. Nicholas Hollenkamp of Indianapolis Sinus Center said chronic sinusitis can affect many other aspects of health, one of which is men's sexual function. He said the correlation may be surprising, but chronic sinusitis puts men at a significantly higher risk of experiencing erectile dysfunction. 

"There's just a higher risk of dysfunction," Hollenkamp told Indy Standard. "To me, that was one of the most surprising things, because you just wouldn't intuitively think that to be true. But they've done studies on that, and it's certainly true, and it's significantly higher. The rate is not a little bit higher, it's quite a bit higher. There's definitely a strong correlation there. And I was surprised when I learned that, because you would think those things are so far apart that they wouldn't be related like that, but I think it ties in to the not breathing well. Chronic inflammation can affect many systems, be it brain, respiratory tract or muscular systems, and it can affect a lot more than just your sinuses." 

Erectile dysfunction, which the National Institutes of Health defines as "the inability to attain and maintain an erection of sufficient quality to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse,” affects approximately 5% of men in the United States, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. A study using data from more than 1 million people from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database found that chronic rhinosinusitis is associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction. According to the report, treating rhinosinusitis with surgery significantly decreased erectile dysfunction in patients.

Yahoo Sports reported that men who suffer from chronic sinusitis are as much as 50% more likely to be impotent compared to men who do not suffer from sinusitis, citing a report from Kaohsiung University in Taiwan. The study found that when sinusitis inflames the lining of the sinuses, it causes the blood vessels in men's genitals to restrict blood flow.

While some people might turn to medication to try to alleviate their sinus symptoms, Sudafed or other cold medications can also cause erectile dysfunction, according to Men's Journal.

People who suffer from chronic sinusitis have several surgical treatment options, including endoscopy and balloon sinuplasty, according to Web MD. Endoscopy is a common procedure, during which doctors insert thin, flexible instruments called endoscopes into the nose. One instrument has a small camera lens that sends images back to a screen, allowing the doctor to see where the sinuses are blocked and guide the other instruments to gently remove polyps, scar tissue, and other blockages. Doctors won’t cut into the skin, so your recovery should be relatively fast and easy. Endoscopy is usually done with a local anesthetic, meaning the area will be made numb and the patient remains awake. 

Another newer treatment is balloon sinuplasty, which is a good option for patients who don't need anything removed from the sinuses. The doctor puts a thin tube into the nose with a small balloon attached to one end. The doctor then guides the balloon to the blocked area inside the nose and inflates it. The balloon helps clear the passageway so the sinuses can drain properly, alleviating congestion.

For more information about chronic sinusitis and treatments please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.