North Richmond Today

• Chronic sinusitis can cause erectile dysfunction.

• Unexpected side effects of chronic sinusitis include depression, lack of sleep and lower exercise tolerance.

• Treatment options, such as balloon sinuplasty, can help patients by opening blocked nasal passages.

As if chronic sinusitis isn't bad enough on its own, it can also cause erectile dysfunction, according to Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.

"Chronic sinusitis can affect the rest of your health in multiple ways," Ditto told North Richmond Today. "One, it can impede your breathing, which will decrease your exercise tolerance. Two, we know that there's some association with sleep apnea. Three, we know also with chronic sinusitis that there is some  association with mental health, including anxiety and depression. Four, there has been a study that looked at erectile dysfunction and sinusitis, so there's a  correlation."

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 U.S., according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

A study, using data from more than 1 million people from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, found that chronic sinusitis is associated with increased risk of erectile dysfunction. According to the report, treating sinusitis with functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) 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.

People with chronic sinusitis are 41% more likely to suffer from depression, according to Physicians Weekly. From 60% to 75% of chronic sinusitis patients also suffer from poor sleep, according to the NCBI.          

People who suffer from 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. There's no cutting involved, so the recovery is 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 relatively new treatment is balloon sinuplasty, which is a good option for patients who don't need anything removed from the sinuses. The doctor places 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.

To learn more about sinusitis or balloon sinuplasty, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz from Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.