North Panhandle News

Presidents Day is a day to honor America's former leaders, but ear, nose and throat specialists use the day to shed light on the association between smoking and sinusitis.

Former presidents John F. Kennedy and Franklin Delano Roosevelt are examples of notable people who had sinusitis that was attributed at least partly to smoking.

The Janet G. Travell Oral History Interview, published in 1966, provides a report that Kennedy, a smoker, often had acute sinusitis that required a course of antibiotics.

Roosevelt suffered likewise. His presidential physician, Ross McIntire, said that one of the president's concerns was sinus problems, documents at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Library show. The New York Times reported that Roosevelt was a heavy smoker. Indeed, he received treatment for sinus conditions that “plagued him greatly” almost every night, according to documentation at his presidential library. 

The link between smoking and chronic rhinosinusitis is not new. Medical archives have hinted at the correlation for years. Although doctors have long tried to warn patients about the connection, smoking is so addictive that it is hard for people to drop the habit. 

Inhaling cigarette smoke exacerbates sinus conditions because the pollutants in the smoke causes inflammation in the nasal passages.

New treatments have been devised that might well have alleviated symptoms for Kennedy and Roosevelt. Today, those who suffer from chronic sinus infections can consult an ENT about a minimally invasive procedure called balloon sinuplasty. This option is said to be safe and effective in providing long-term relief for those who suffer from chronic sinus issues, according to the American Journal of Otolaryngology. 

People who suffer from consistent or recurring sinus infections can take a Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz  to evaluate their symptoms and consider if they might benefit from seeing a doctor.