IBERIA PARISH — Acadiana’s ongoing drought isn’t just affecting crops and lawns— it can also impact people’s health. Local doctors say the dry air is taking a toll on sinuses and respiratory systems across the region.

When humidity drops, the air loses its natural moisture; so does the lining inside your nose and sinuses. That can make it harder for your body to trap and clear out dust, irritants, and viruses.

Dr. Nicholas Sorrel, an ear, nose, and throat doctor at Southern ENT Associates, says that dryness can throw your body’s natural defenses off balance.

“Our body in general likes to be moist,” Sorrel explained. “The little hair cells and the lining of the nose, which we call the mucosa, can’t clear all those things as well whenever it’s dry, because the mucus and the natural abilit

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