Baltimore City Wire

⦁    Recent studies have shown sinusitis increases the risk of erectile dysfunction.

⦁    Unexpected side effects of sinusitis include depression and insomnia.

⦁    People who suffer from sinusitis have several surgical treatment options.

Those who suffer from chronic sinusitis have recently been found to have an increased risk of erectile dysfunction, according to a study that analyzed data from more than 1 million participants from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database.

Dr. Jamie Oberman of the Frederick Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers also warns that sinusitis-related illnesses could have a number of negative effects on a person's overall health.

"(Sinusitis) certainly can be quite debilitating," Oberman told Baltimore City Wire. "The studies show that it certainly contributes to a loss of vitality, productivity and quality of life. You don't have to live with it. There are solutions out there, and many of which are very well-tolerated and minimally invasive and almost risk-free."

Approximately 5% of American men experience erectile dysfunction, which the National Institutes of Health characterizes as "the inability to attain and maintain an erection of sufficient quality to permit satisfactory sexual intercourse."

Yahoo! Sports cited a study from Kaohsiung University in Taiwan, which found that men experiencing chronic sinusitis are up to 50% more likely to be impotent.

According to the study, sinusitis leads to inflammation of the sinus lining, which restricts blood flow to men's genitals. According to a separate NCBI report, around 60 to 75% of people suffering from chronic sinusitis also experience sleeping difficulties.

Physicians Weekly reported that people who have chronic sinusitis are 41% more likely to experience depression.

However, WebMD pointed out that people suffering from chronic sinusitis have multiple treatment options, including endoscopy and balloon sinuplasty.

Endoscopy is a standard procedure in which doctors insert a tool known as an endoscope into the nose in order to see where the sinuses are obstructed.

Another procedure is called balloon sinuplasty, which serves as an alternative for patients who do not require anything to be surgically removed from their sinuses. This procedure involves inserting a thin tube with a tiny balloon connected to one end into the nose. The doctor then directs the balloon to the obstructed spot within the nose and expands it to open the passage so the patient can breathe and no longer experiences congestion.

According to the NCBI's report, the use of endoscopic sinus surgery to treat sinusitis helped to reduce reported cases of erectile dysfunction among patients.

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