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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Is Smoking Causing My Sinus Issues ?

Hello i am a 32 year old female smoker for 11 years have a problem with my throat been about 6 months felt like i had something stuck when to ENT told me i had acid reflux. I changed my diet and slowed down almost to a stop with the smoking. Now when i smoke, my ears get clogged and my throat hurts to swallow. No problem with food or drink. When i went to ENT i told them of the little off white balls i'm hacking up. At that time it was only the throat giving me problems now the ears are something new. He didn't really say much about that but it is still happening. What should i do?
Tue, 4 Oct 2011
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  User's Response
's  Response
A hacking cough is a part of frequent throat clearing due to acid reflux. The little off white balls that you are hacking up can be:
1. Tonslloliths.
2. Dead white blood cells due to infection or allergy.
3. Fungal Balls.
4. Excessive Mucus due to post nasal drip, sinusitis, emphysema.
5. Bits of 'biofilm'.
Get these cough balls examined, if possible, at a Microbiology/Pathology Lab. to determine their origin. Do they have a foul smell?
Smoking irritates the nose and throat. It damages the delicate cilia of the nasal and respiratory lining. It will also irritate the Eustachian tube and cause clogging of your ears. Have you had a Ear Impedance Audiometry / Tympanometry? Your symptoms may be as a result of a combination of acid reflux and smoking. A bad or stale batch of cigarettes stored in high humidity may also contain bacteria, yeast and fungi.
General & Family Physician,  Dr. P. Mahesh's  Response
Hi,
welcome to HCM.
Smoking can certainly cause problem in the throat and this can extend into the middle ear.
Smoking is not advisable. It can cause problems in the throat, stomach, lungs etc.
I suggest you quit smoking and these problems should resolve by itself.
Wish you all the best.
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Is Smoking Causing My Sinus Issues ?

A hacking cough is a part of frequent throat clearing due to acid reflux. The little off white balls that you are hacking up can be: 1. Tonslloliths. 2. Dead white blood cells due to infection or allergy. 3. Fungal Balls. 4. Excessive Mucus due to post nasal drip, sinusitis, emphysema. 5. Bits of 'biofilm'. Get these cough balls examined, if possible, at a Microbiology/Pathology Lab. to determine their origin. Do they have a foul smell? Smoking irritates the nose and throat. It damages the delicate cilia of the nasal and respiratory lining. It will also irritate the Eustachian tube and cause clogging of your ears. Have you had a Ear Impedance Audiometry / Tympanometry? Your symptoms may be as a result of a combination of acid reflux and smoking. A bad or stale batch of cigarettes stored in high humidity may also contain bacteria, yeast and fungi.