The impact of cigarette smoking and environmental tobacco smoke on nasal and sinus disease: A review of the literature

Tobacco smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) have: bot h been implicated in a number of acute and chronic medical problems includi ng heart and lung disease and several cancers. The impact of tobacco smoke on disorders of the nose and paranasal sinuses is less well understood, alt hough there is growing evidence that such exposure can have a significant i mpact on nasal and sinus function. A comprehensive review of the literature reveals that tobacco smoking is associated with acute and chronic rhinitis , but may actually be negatively correlated with the development of allergi c rhinitis. In those patients with allergies, nasal and sinus symptoms may be exacerbated by tobacco smoking. ETS exposure is associated with acute an d chronic nasal symptoms in adults and children, snoring in children and te enagers, and may be associated with an earlier onset and more significant s ymptoms fur individuals with a predisposition to developing allergies. Both primary and environmental tobacco smoke are related to increases in nasal and sinus cancer. Tobacco smoking and ETS are associated with significant n asal and sinus disease and cancer.