Pelican State News

• Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population. 
• Balloon sinuplasty is the procedure most often recommended for people with chronic sinusitis. 
• There are many symptoms associated with chronic sinusitis, including erectile dysfunction.

Studies show that erectile dysfunction is one of many possible symptoms of chronic sinusitis. According to Dr. Gregory Pippin of ENT & Allergy of New Orleans, there is a direct correlation between sinusitis and a worsening sex life. 

"Sinusitis can have a significant effect on sex life, especially because it can exacerbate depression. It can increase your sleep apnea. All of those things have been found to have a negative correlation to libido," Dr. Pippin told the Pelican State News. 

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 (NCBI). A study using data from more than one million people from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) found that chronic rhinosinusitis can put patients at increased risk for erectile dysfunction. According to the report, treating rhinosinusitis surgically significantly decreased the risk of 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, medications such as Sudafed or other cold medications can also cause erectile dysfunction, according to Men's Journal.

Erectile dysfunction can be caused by a mix of physical and psychological issues. Often, there are underlying issues associated with erectile dysfunction, and those can be helped by seeing a doctor, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

Dr. Gregory Pippin is certified as both an otolaryngologist and a facial plastic surgeon, as noted on ENT and Allergy of New Orleans' website. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and continued his medical education at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. He subsequently completed a comprehensive residency program covering otolaryngology/head and neck surgery, facial plastic surgery, and reconstructive surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.