- 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.
“In general, if you feel sick you just don't feel like doing anything, including sex,” Dr. Schalch Lepe told the Coachella Valley Times. “One essential mechanism that we inherited from evolution is that the sense of smell has a lot to do with sexual stimulation. So if you're congested, that function will be affected as well. It's absolutely something that can impact your sex life, having this recurrent chronic infection and not getting proper treatment for them.”
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 SoCal Breathe Free's website, Dr. Paul Schalch Lepe is an otolaryngologist and ENT doctor based in San Diego. His specialties include sinus, allergy, and sleep treatments. Dr. Schalch Lepe completed his residency in otolaryngology at UC Irvine Medical Center, affiliated with UC Irvine School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree from the School of Medicine at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City.