Patients often come in during a dentist appointment mentioning sinus pain coupled with congestion and toothache. This pain can either be quite severe or even chronic, and can be hassle to deal with. Patients experiencing these symptoms have been found to be suffering from rhinosinusitis, which can arise due to allergies or infection. However, the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Surgery published a study that showed a link between secondhand smoke and chronic rhinosinusitis. In their study, interviewers from the Henry Ford Health System were trained to hold telephone interviewed with 306 patients who have been suffering from rhinosinusitis between January 2000 and May 2004, along with 306 matched control patients. The researchers were able to collect data on age, ethnicity, sex, diet, and contact with possible air pollutants and chemicals. The main data that was examined were the secondhand smoke exposure that the patients were exposed to; the exposure could have been from home, work, public places, and private function, including parties and weddings. This study revealed that there is a dose-response relationship found between chronic rhinosinusitis and the number of environments that individuals were susceptible to secondhand smoke. Amanda Holm, a study coauthor and project manager at the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention explained that their findings “reaffirm the health hazards of secondhand smoke.” She notes that the irritants found in secondhand smoke are harmful to the sinus and nasal passages and are the main cause to the progression of rhinosinusitis. Secondhand smoke has also been shown to increase risk of respiratory ailments, lung cancer, and heart disease in nonsmokers. Although there have been antismoking laws established in the United States, 60% of nonsmokers continue to be exposed the toxic chemicals found in cigarette smoke. While many tend to shrug this issue off and may label this as unimportant, researchers urge individuals to be wary of secondhand smoke, highlighting that consequences are real and truly harmful. Feel free to contact Drs. Ali & Ali and the caring team at Wellesley Dental Group if you have any thoughts or concerns; they will be happy to answer your questions! Contact us today at 781-237-9071 or smile@wellesleydentalgroup.com to set up an appointment and consultation. References: http://jada.ada.org/content/141/6/632.1.full http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12931083 http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/19/secondhand.smoke.sinus/index.html
