Electronic cigarettes have been a popular alternative to tobacco smoking. The effect of tobacco smoking on nasal airway resistance has been investigated before; however, the effect of the aerosol generated by electronic cigarettes is still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of e-cigarettes on nasal airway resistance.

Sixty-one participants were recruited into a vapers group and a control group. The vapers group was instructed to smoke for 5 minutes, and their nasal resistance was measured pre-procedure and at 1 and 5 minutes post-procedure. The results were compared between both groups.

Repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that vaping has no statistically significant effect on total nasal airway resistance.

Although the differences between both groups were not statistically significant overall, the vapers group showed a reduction in nasal airway resistance in the short term.

Nasal obstruction when lying down is a common complaint in patients with chronic nasal obstruction, but rhinomanometry is typically performed in the sitting position. This study aimed to analyse whether adding rhinomanometry in a supine position is a useful examination.

A total of 41 patients with chronic nasal obstruction underwent rhinomanometry and acoustic rhinometry, sitting and supine, before and after decongestion, as well as an over-night polygraphy.

Total airway resistance was measurable in a supine position in 48 per cent (14 of 29) of the patients with total airway resistance of equal to or less than 0.3 Pa/cm3/second when sitting and in none (0 of 12) of the patients with total nasal airway resistance of more than 0.3 Pa/cm3/second when sitting. After decongestion, this increased to 83 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively.

Increased nasal resistance when sitting predicts nasal breathing problems when supine. Rhinomanometry in a supine position should be performed to diagnose upper airway collapse when supine.

Studies on the nasal cycle can be limited by time-consuming rhinomanometric measurements. However, quantifiable subjective assessment of nasal airflow has been limited by poor correlation with rhinomanometric data, even when investigating patients with a deviated nasal septum.

Thirty healthy participants attended two study days for rhinomanometric and subjective assessment of nasal airflow (using the subjective ordinal scale). A nasal partitioning ratio was calculated for both measures.

Objective and subjective nasal partitioning ratios were compared; strong correlations were seen, with a correlation coefficient of 0.64 (p < 0.00001) on day 1 and 0.68 (p < 0.00001) on day 2.

The use of the subjective ordinal scale and nasal partitioning ratio provides a sensitive tool for assessing relative nasal airflow, with results that correlate strongly with rhinomanometric data. This finding strongly suggests that this combination could be used for future subjective assessment of the nasal cycle.

To evaluate the nasal functions of patients with unilateral chronic otitis media using rhinomanometry, comparing chronic otitis media sides with healthy sides, chronic otitis media patients with cholesteatoma and without cholesteatoma, and patients with healthy individuals.

This prospective study included 102 patients with unilateral chronic otitis media (48 with and 54 without cholesteatoma). The control group comprised 40 individuals without any ear or nasal pathologies. All patients underwent active anterior rhinomanometry to measure nasal airway resistance and a saccharin test to measure mucociliary transport times.

There were no significant differences in nasal airway resistance and mucociliary transport time between the chronic otitis media sides and unaffected sides in the 102 patients (p = 0.72 and p = 0.28, respectively), between the non-suppurative chronic otitis media patients (without cholesteatoma) and chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma patients (p > 0.05), or between the study and control groups (p > 0.05).

The present study, with a larger sample size compared to previously published literature, supports the conclusion that unilateral nasal obstruction is unlikely to lead to chronic otitis media on the same side. The results also suggest that nasal functions do not contribute to the development of cholesteatoma.

In order to achieve a faster and more reliable anterior rhinomanometric evaluation, nasal skin was prepared using benzoin tincture solution, which provides simpler and better adhesion of the foam tape to the nasal skin.

Two consecutive anterior rhinomanometry measurements were made, one with and one without benzoin tincture application.

The average time taken to perform classic foam tape anterior rhinomanometry without benzoin tincture application was 281.32 seconds, and the average coefficients of variation for the right and left passages were 7.48 and 7.59 per cent, respectively. When benzoin tincture was used, the average time taken for completion of the tests was 121.24 seconds, and the average coefficients of variation for the right and left passages were 2.17 and 2.32 per cent.

The use of benzoin tincture to clean the nasal skin before placing foam tape shortens the procedure duration and significantly increases test reliability.

Correlating patient perception of nasal obstruction sidedness to causative anatomy is important in surgical planning. The accuracy of patient-perceived asymmetry of nasal obstruction, as regards objective measures, is described.

Cross-sectional study of patients undergoing nasal airflow assessment. Unilateral obstruction was assessed using visual analogue scale scores and anterior rhinomanometry, without decongestion. Subjective obstruction asymmetry was defined using either the absolute score difference (right vs left) or the minimal clinically important difference, derived statistically. Correlation between subjective and objective obstruction measures was assessed.

In 145 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 42.8 ± 16.6 years; 54.5 per cent female), objective obstruction was right-sided in 32.4 per cent, left-sided in 36.6 per cent and symmetrical in 31.0 per cent. Subjective perception of obstruction sidedness had a sensitivity and specificity of 86.9 and 41.1 per cent, respectively, using the minimal clinically important difference. Positive predictive value was 59.4 per cent using absolute score difference and 53.7 per cent using minimal clinically important difference. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated correlation between subjective and objective measures (p < 0.001).

Subjective perception of nasal obstruction asymmetry has limited accuracy. Corroboration with objective airway assessment may be helpful in patients whose symptoms are incongruous with clinical findings.