“The lining of the nose and sinuses is the same as the lining in the lung. There are cilia, or tiny hair-like structures, that clean the nose, sinuses, and lungs of airborne particulate matter, bacteria, and mucus,” explains Kathleen L. Yaremchuk, MD, an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor and chairman of the department of otolaryngology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. “Smoking causes the cilia to stop working, which predisposes the smoker to increased infections of the lungs and sinuses.” The nose and sinuses produce about one to two quarts of mucus every day, according to Samer Fakhri, MD, associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. “Normally, all that mucus travels to the back of your throat and you swallow it. When the cilia are damaged by smoking, the mucus backs up in the sinuses and bacteria start to multiply there. This can lead to a sinus infection.” The Link Between Smoking and ENT Issues As soon as you inhale tobacco smoke, it starts to irritate your whole upper airway. Irritating gases like ammonia and formaldehyde cause your nose and sinuses to produce more mucus. You become more susceptible to colds and allergies and, eventually, to cancer of the throat and lungs. Dr. Fakhri says there are additional ENT-related hazards linked to smoking:
Chronic sinusitis. “If you continue to smoke when you have a sinus infection, you are more likely to develop chronic sinusitis,” he says.Compromised surgical results. “If you need surgery for sinus disease, the results are much worse for smokers,” says Fakhri.Negative effects on senses. Smoking can lead to a decreased sense of taste and of smell.Cancer. Prolonged exposure to smoking has been linked to nose and sinus cancers.Second-hand smoke. “Secondhand smoke has been linked to snoring, respiratory infections, and ear infections in children,” warns Fakhri.
Fakhri also says that smoking has been shown to decrease immune function, which is your body’s defense mechanism against diseases. Once you stop smoking, he says, it can take the nose and sinuses several months to several years to get back to normal. Smokers spend 25 percent more time in the hospital than nonsmokers, are twice as likely to die before age 65, and may lose up to 20 minutes of life for every cigarette they smoke. ENT doctors see the up-close results of smoking on the nose, sinuses, and throat, so their advice is based on experience: Smoking and good sinus health don’t mix. Find more information in the Everyday Health Ear, Nose, and Throat Center.
