President John F. Kennedy was one of many former presidents who was known to be a smoker. | Wikimedia Commons/Cecil Stoughton, 1920-2008, Photographer
President John F. Kennedy was one of many former presidents who was known to be a smoker. | Wikimedia Commons/Cecil Stoughton, 1920-2008, Photographer
Former presidents John F. Kennedy and Franklin Delano Roosevelt both reportedly suffered from sinus issues, and they had another common denominator as well: smoking.
Kennedy was reportedly treated for his acute sinusitis with antibiotics, according to the Janet G. Travell Oral History Interview, which was published in 1966. Kennedy was more of a casual smoker, but it is well-documented he liked the occasional cigarette or cigar.
Roosevelt, on the other hand, was known to be a heavy smoker. His sinus problems greatly concerned him, according to the University of Arizona Health Sciences Library.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, smoking cigarettes may play a major role in upper airway diseases such as chronic rhinosinusitis. Tobacco use increases the risk of contracting viral illnesses, making asthma attacks worse and reducing lung function.
“Smoking has been linked to increased rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, another cause of chronic sinusitis,” the Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy website states.
A balloon sinuplasty is a fairly noninvasive surgery, during which balloons are put into the sinuses and inflated so that they drain the excess mucus. Balloon sinuplasty is a quick, in-office procedure that carries little risk and has a very short recovery period. It is a recommended treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis, according to the American Journal of Otolaryngology.
If you're interested in evaluating your symptoms and considering seeing a doctor, please take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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