Smoking pipes/cigars and Sinus problems?

Hello fellow pipe and cigar smokers.
I love to smoke a pipe and cigars now and then, but I find that almost every time I smoke, it irritates my sinuses a lot and I wind up getting a sinus infection. Three weeks of frustration from a nice 30-60 minutes smoking session isn't worthwhile

Does anyone else have the same problem? I had my tonsils and adenoids out last year and I was hoping it would improve the issue. It's a little better, but it's nowhere near resolved.

If not, enjoy your smoke

sorry to hear that, i dont have any problems like that, but i heard once that taking vitamin c might help, i try and take a multivitamin every day, but mostly because im busy and cant always eat a balanced diet.
Might be worth a shot, any way best of luck finding a cure.
Smoke in good health.

You might talk to your doctor about how to avoid infection when you experience sinus irritation. Lacking a satisfactory solution there, if having a cigar or pipe causes you discomfort and illness I have a hard time seeing the point. If you would like to continue to enjoy tobacco, without being able to resolve this issue, you might consider Snus. I enjoy it on occasion.

Have you ever tried a Netti Pot or the plastic squeeze bottles to irrigate the sinuses? I've never gotten a sinus infection, but I do use the squeeze bottle when I get congestion in my sinuses. Yes, I realize it's bizarre, but but it's really not as bad as it look or sounds.

I don't have the smoking issue, but big plus one to the Neti Pot. Bonus for using the neti pot (and salt) with a dash of xylitol.

The Neti pot + salt will flush out any irritants, bacteria, viruses and the xylitol (a natural sugar alcohol) will help protect you from infection (bacteria think it's food and they can't processes it and so die. plus the xylitol may help shield your sinuses from viral infection as well by coating your sinuses).

Where do you get the xylitol. I'm prone to sinus infections but have been symptom free since I discovered the neti-pot.

bigswol2 said:

Where do you get the xylitol. I'm prone to sinus infections but have been symptom free since I discovered the neti-pot.

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I get my xylitol at vitacost.com, but many health food/vitamin stores and web sties carry it as it's also good for diabetic and low-carb dieting.

Commander Quan said:

Have you ever tried a Netti Pot or the plastic squeeze bottles to irrigate the sinuses? I've never gotten a sinus infection, but I do use the squeeze bottle when I get congestion in my sinuses. Yes, I realize it's bizarre, but but it's really not as bad as it look or sounds.

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The Netti Pot is a great suggestion in my opinion.

Frankly, if occasional pipe and cigar smoking is giving you 2-3 weeks for discomfort, it ain't worth it.

One suggestion you may want to try is smoking a pipe with a 9mm Vauen filter. 7 times out of 10 I'm smoking now with a Vauen filter and I find the smoke to be really clean and still have the exact same flavor. When I run a new pipe cleaner through the stem after smoking, it comes out almost white; as opposed to brownish with my non-9mm filter pipes.

I find if I'm already congested, or have a sinus infection coming on that I don't deal with, that the smoking can irritate and further the issue along. But the neti pot idea is great. If you're a frequent sufferer of sinus issues and the doctor is out for whatever reason, I found that Vicks has a nasal spray called Sinex that works wonders for me if I catch a sinus issue before it gets too bad.

Besides the irritation of the smoke i wonder if you have developed an allergic reaction to some component of the smoke. Given the background risk of lung, head and neck cancers etc. caused by any smoking, I would be cautious if I suffered any above normal degree of inflammation as an additional risk factor. In other words, I agree with the other suggestions above and just give it up. Its not worth it. I say this as an ex-pipe smoker.

Commander Quan said:

Have you ever tried a Netti Pot or the plastic squeeze bottles to irrigate the sinuses? I've never gotten a sinus infection, but I do use the squeeze bottle when I get congestion in my sinuses. Yes, I realize it's bizarre, but but it's really not as bad as it look or sounds.

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I'm with Quan, Rich and the others, adding one thing:

The neti/squeeze bottle devices do not get as high as the frontal sinuses. To irrigate those areas, you need to tip your head back (laying on the couch with your head over the armrest will do it). You do not actually need to use any particular device for this. Just warm a 2 or 3 % solution of table salt in distilled water, tip your head back and fill. Be prepared mentally; you will first be astonished as to how bloody much solution it takes to fill, then your body may well scream "drowning!" You are not drowning, so relax. About five minutes will do it and then you can disgust yourself and everyone around you with the delightful rainbow of stuff that comes out. Errr, you should have a container handy, too and a lot of tissues.

Enjoy. I do, about once a month.

Regards,

- John