Sinusitis is diagnosed more often in women than in men: 15.0% of US women reported a sinusitis diagnosis in the previous 12 months, compared with 8.8% of men, in the 2017 National Health Interview Survey. The pattern reverses for one subtype. Chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps is more common in men, while chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps is more common in women. Women also report heavier symptom burden on questionnaires, even when their scans show less disease.
This article uses the terms sinusitis and rhinosinusitis interchangeably. For the wider clinical picture, see the sinusitis hub and the full list of sinusitis symptoms, or read the shorter overview of whether sinusitis is more common in men or women.
How Much More Common Is Sinusitis in Women Than in Men?
Women are diagnosed with sinusitis 1.7 times as often as men in US national survey data, at 15.0% of women against 8.8% of men over a 12-month period.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published these age-adjusted figures from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey in 2019.
What the national survey measured
The National Health Interview Survey asked adults aged 18 and over whether a doctor or other health professional had told them in the past 12 months that they had sinusitis. The question counts any diagnosed sinusitis in that year, acute or chronic, which is why the figure is higher than chronic sinusitis prevalence estimates.
Differences within each sex
The female excess appears in every group the survey reported. Non-Hispanic white women had the highest rate at 17.2%, followed by non-Hispanic Black women at 14.3% and Hispanic women at 10.2%. Among men, non-Hispanic white men reported 10.1%, non-Hispanic Black men 7.0% and Hispanic men 5.8%.
A common misreading of the figure
The 15.0% and 8.8% figures describe sinusitis diagnosed in one year, not chronic sinusitis. Some published summaries present them as chronic sinusitis prevalence. Chronic sinusitis requires symptoms lasting 12 weeks or longer, and most one-year diagnoses in the survey are short episodes of acute sinusitis.
Does the Answer Change for Chronic Sinusitis With and Without Nasal Polyps?
The answer splits by subtype: female sex raises the odds of chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps by up to 44% and lowers the odds of chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps by 37%. Richard Chiu and colleagues at the University of Illinois Chicago reported these results in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery in January 2026.
The All of Us study
Chiu and colleagues analysed 258,245 participants in the US All of Us Research Program, a national dataset drawn from academic medical centres, Veterans Affairs facilities and community health centres between 2018 and 2023. Compared with men, women had an odds ratio of 1.44 for chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps below age 60, and 1.32 at age 60 and over. Women had an odds ratio of 0.63 for chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps.
Men and nasal polyps
The male predominance in polyp disease is consistent across studies. Nasal polyps are benign swellings of the sinus lining that form in long-standing inflammation, and their causes are covered in what causes nasal polyps. A prospective study of 514 patients by Busaba, Sin and Salman in the Journal of Laryngology & Otology in 2008 found chronic sinusitis with polyps more common in men and chronic sinusitis without polyps more common in women.
Differences in blood markers
The 2026 All of Us analysis found lower blood eosinophil counts and lower IgE levels in women than in men, in both subtypes of chronic sinusitis. Eosinophils and IgE are markers of type 2 inflammation, the inflammatory pattern most closely linked to nasal polyps. The authors interpreted the result as a possible female tendency toward non-type 2 inflammation.
Do Men and Women Experience Different Sinusitis Symptoms?
Women with chronic sinusitis report facial pain and headache more often, while men report nasal obstruction more often. Busaba and colleagues found these differences to be statistically significant in 514 patients, 273 women and 241 men, in 2008.
Facial pain and headache in women
Facial pain and headache were more prevalent among women in the Busaba study. The same study found chronic sinusitis without polyps, the subtype with no polyp tissue narrowing the airway, more common in women. The mechanism is described in sinusitis facial pain and pressure and headache from sinusitis.
Nasal obstruction in men
Nasal obstruction was more prevalent among men. Polyps physically narrow the nasal airway, which is consistent with men’s higher rate of polyp disease in the same cohort. The causes and treatment of persistent nasal congestion are covered separately.
Factors that did not differ
The Busaba study found no significant difference between women and men in environmental allergy, asthma, psychiatric illness or anatomical variants blocking sinus drainage. The symptom differences therefore did not come from a different mix of these conditions.
Do Women Experience Sinusitis as More Severe?
Women report more severe chronic sinusitis symptoms than men despite having less disease on CT scans. Devyani Lal and colleagues found that women electing endoscopic sinus surgery had a mean SNOT-22 score of 44.7 against 39.1 in men, while their mean CT score was 10.2 against 12.0.
What the scores mean
The SNOT-22 is a 22-item questionnaire that measures how much sinus disease affects daily life, scored from 0 to 110, with higher scores meaning greater burden. The CT score measures how much of the sinus space is filled with inflamed tissue or fluid. Women scored worse on the first and better on the second in the Lal study, published in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology in 2016.
Symptoms reported more heavily by women
Women in the Lal cohort reported significantly worse post-nasal drainage and embarrassment than men. Both items are part of the SNOT-22 and affect quality of life more than they reflect the amount of disease on imaging.
Outcomes after surgery
Both women and men experienced significant and durable symptom relief after endoscopic sinus surgery in the Lal study. Women reported heavier symptoms before surgery and in the early recovery period, but by one year after surgery the two groups reported similar scores.
Why Is Sinusitis Diagnosed More Often in Women?
No single cause explains the higher diagnosis rate in women; researchers point to differences in inflammation type, symptom reporting, and use of healthcare, and the relative weight of each remains unknown. The biological and social explanations are not mutually exclusive.
Differences in inflammation type
The 2026 All of Us data link female sex to lower eosinophil and IgE levels and to more chronic sinusitis without polyps. This supports a biological contribution, because the two subtypes are driven by different inflammatory pathways.
Differences in reporting and healthcare use
Survey data count people who have been diagnosed, so any difference in how often women and men seek care changes the diagnosis rate. Women report heavier symptom burden on the SNOT-22 with less disease on CT, and higher reported burden prompts more consultations. Survey figures therefore measure diagnosed sinusitis rather than the true underlying rate.
Hormonal factors
Hormonal influences on the nasal lining are proposed as a contributor but remain unproven as a cause of the sex difference in chronic sinusitis. Pregnancy is the clearest example of hormones affecting the nose: pregnancy rhinitis, a hormone-driven nasal congestion, affects around 22% of pregnancies and resolves within two weeks of delivery.
Does Sex Change How Sinusitis Is Diagnosed or Treated?
The diagnostic criteria and treatment options for sinusitis are the same for women and men. Rhinosinusitis is diagnosed when two or more symptoms are present, one of which must be nasal blockage or nasal discharge, confirmed by endoscopy or CT where needed.
Why the differences still matter clinically
The subtype differences shape what a clinician looks for. A man with persistent blockage has a higher chance of nasal polyps, which endoscopy identifies directly. A woman with facial pain and a normal-looking CT scan has a higher chance of chronic sinusitis without polyps, where symptom burden can exceed what imaging shows. The full pathway is described in how sinusitis is diagnosed, and the sinusitis self-assessment test applies the same criteria to your own symptoms.
Where Nasodren® fits
Nasodren® is a CE 0051 Class IIA medical device, not a medicine, and it does not claim to cure sinusitis. Nasodren® is a 100% natural nasal spray made from Cyclamen europaeum extract, applied once daily into each nostril, which stimulates nerve endings in the nasal lining and increases drainage of retained mucus. The extract is supported by more than 30 published clinical studies and a Level A recommendation in EPOS 2012. A 2018 Cochrane review of the extract for acute sinusitis, covering 2 trials and 147 adults, concluded that its effectiveness is unknown because neither trial reported the review’s main outcomes, and recorded mild adverse events such as nasal irritation in 50% of the treatment group against 24% on placebo. Nasodren® is used by adults and children aged 5 and over; it is not used during pregnancy or breastfeeding unless a doctor prescribes it, and anyone taking anticoagulants, including aspirin, consults a doctor first. Readers who want a clinician’s view can book the free e-Health consultation at nasodren.com.
When Should You See a Doctor About Sinus Symptoms?
See a doctor for sinus symptoms lasting more than 10 days without improvement, symptoms that improve then worsen, or symptoms lasting 12 weeks or longer, and seek emergency care for eye swelling, vision changes, severe headache, confusion or neck stiffness. These thresholds apply equally to women and men.
Signs that need an appointment
Book an appointment for persistent one-sided blockage, loss of smell that has not returned after a cold, four or more acute episodes in a year, and facial pain that disturbs sleep.
Emergency signs
Seek same-day emergency care for swelling or redness around an eye, double or blurred vision, a bulging eye, a severe or unfamiliar headache, confusion, or neck stiffness.
What Do People Ask About Sinusitis in Men and Women?
Do women get more sinus infections than men?
Women are diagnosed with sinusitis more often than men. The CDC’s 2017 National Health Interview Survey recorded a 12-month sinusitis diagnosis in 15.0% of women and 8.8% of men. Part of the gap reflects differences in how often each sex seeks care.
Are nasal polyps more common in men?
Nasal polyps are more common in men. A 2026 JAMA Otolaryngology study of 258,245 US adults found that women had 37% lower odds of chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps than men, and a 2008 study of 514 patients found the same pattern.
Why do women report worse sinus symptoms?
Women report higher SNOT-22 scores than men despite less disease on CT, 44.7 against 39.1 in a 2016 surgical cohort. Women more often report facial pain, headache, post-nasal drainage and embarrassment, which weigh heavily on quality of life.
Do men and women need different sinusitis treatment?
Diagnostic criteria and treatment options are the same for both sexes. Differences in subtype guide the examination, because men more often have polyps and women more often have chronic sinusitis without polyps.
Does surgery work equally well for women and men?
Endoscopic sinus surgery produced significant and durable relief in both sexes in a 2016 study. Women reported heavier symptoms before surgery and early afterwards, but scores were similar in both groups one year after surgery.
Do hormones cause sinusitis in women?
Hormones affect the nasal lining, most clearly in pregnancy rhinitis, which affects around 22% of pregnancies. A direct hormonal cause for the higher rate of chronic sinusitis in women has not been established.
Key Takeaways: Is Sinusitis More Common in Men or Women?
Sinusitis overall is more common in women, but the answer depends on the subtype. Six points summarise the evidence.
- Women are diagnosed more often: 15.0% of US women against 8.8% of men reported a sinusitis diagnosis in 12 months in the 2017 national survey.
- Chronic sinusitis without polyps favours women, at up to 44% higher odds in the 2026 All of Us study of 258,245 adults.
- Chronic sinusitis with polyps favours men, with women at 37% lower odds.
- Women more often report facial pain and headache; men more often report nasal obstruction.
- Women report worse symptom scores with less disease on CT, 44.7 against 39.1 on the SNOT-22 in a surgical cohort.
- The causes of the sex difference remain unresolved, with inflammation type, reporting and healthcare use all contributing.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Sinusitis is assessed the same way in women and men, and symptoms that persist, worsen, or affect the eyes or thinking require medical attention. Brand information for Nasodren® is included for commercial purposes; the medical content is sourced from published surveys and peer-reviewed literature.
Which Medical Sources Support This Article?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Percentages of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Were Told in the Past 12 Months by a Doctor or Health Professional That They Had Sinusitis, by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin — National Health Interview Survey, 2017. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2019;68(15):361.
- Chiu RG, et al. Biological Sex and Chronic Rhinosinusitis Diagnosis and Biomarkers. JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. 2026;152(1):18-26.
- Busaba NY, Sin HJ, Salman SD. Impact of gender on clinical presentation of chronic rhinosinusitis with and without polyposis. Journal of Laryngology & Otology. 2008;122:1180-1184.
- Lal D, Rounds AB, Divekar R. Gender-specific differences in chronic rhinosinusitis patients electing endoscopic sinus surgery. International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. 2016;6(3):278-286.
- Caparroz FA, Gregorio LL, Bongiovanni G, Izu SC, Kosugi EM. Rhinitis and pregnancy: literature review. Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology. 2016;82:105-111.
- Fokkens WJ, Lund VJ, Hopkins C, et al. European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps 2020. Rhinology. 2020;58(Suppl S29):1-464.
- Zalmanovici Trestioreanu A, Barua A, Pertzov B. Cyclamen europaeum extract for acute sinusitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;5:CD011341.
