But anti-smoking advocates say there is still much more to be done. Cigarette smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in this country. What is known about the health risks associated with smoking is growing. Most people know smoking can damage your heart and lungs, but few may realize it can also affect the nose, throat and sinuses. Dr. Jordan Josephson, a New York ear nose and throat specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital, says he sees a number of sinus and allergy problems related to tobacco smoke.
Cigarette smoking is definitely one of the causes of sinus disease.
Patients that are smoking have inflammation in their nose from the smoke. Cancer experts say cigarette smoke and exposure to secondhand smoke can increase a person's risk of nasal and sinus cancer. Secondhand smoke can also affect children whose parents smoke and may make any allergies they have worse, according to experts. Cigarette smoke causes swelling which as a result, prevents the child and the adult from breathing properly. Allergies can affect the lungs and nasal passages in children, and recent studies show young children are at risk for frequent colds and severe nasal problems when repeatedly exposed to cigarette smoke.