Pelican State News

• Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults or 11% of the adult population. 
• There are many symptoms associated with chronic sinusitis, including erectile dysfunction. 
• To address erectile dysfunction associated with sinusitis, it is essential for the patient to effectively treat their sinusitis.

One relatively surprising possible symptom of chronic sinusitis is an increased risk of erectile dysfunction. According to Dr. Adil Fatakia of ENT & Allergy of New Orleans, sinusitis can certainly affect someone’s sex life.  

“There has certainly been a lot of data associated with the correlation of fragmented sleep and alterations in male sex life and desire and motivation,” Dr. Fatakia told the Pelican State News. “So, we can connect that. If chronic sinusitis is the problem with sleep, it can absolutely have an impact on sex life or desire based on the fact that it will create fragmentation or interruption of sleep.”

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 is associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction. According to the report, treating rhinosinusitis surgically significantly decreased erectile dysfunction in patients.

Yahoo Sports reported that men who suffer from chronic sinusitis are as much as 50% more likely to experience erectile dysfunction 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, according to the Mayo Clinic. Often there are underlying issues associated with erectile dysfunction, and those can be helped by seeing a doctor. 

According to ENT and Allergy of New Orleans' website, Dr. Adil Fatakia received his Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He later earned his medical degree at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. Dr. Fatakia completed a five-year residency program in head and neck surgery at Tulane University, followed by a fellowship in sinus and skull base surgery at the Sinus and Nasal Institute of Florida in St. Petersburg.