Sensation of nasal airflow compared with nasal airway resistance in patients with rhinitis

Abstract

Over the past few decades there has been some controversy over the relationship between subjective assessment and objective measurement of nasal airway obstruction. To study the hypothesis that there is a close relationship between the two parameters, we analysed changes in nasal patency following histamine challenge. One hundred and two subjects with a history of allergic or non-allergic rhinitis assessed their nasal patency on a visual analogue scale during nasal histamine provocation. Active anterior rhinomanometry was performed immediately after each patient assessment. At all points, significant correlations were observed between subjective and objective assessments of nasal obstruction. Regression analysis also provided strong evidence of a close relationship between the two parameters. We conclude that rhinomanometry can be used as an objective tool in determining nasal patency.

Evidence‐based recommendations regarding the differential diagnosis and assessment of nasal congestion: using the new GRADE system

“…Although used in research setting (43), no validation of these ratings in nasal pathology could be found in literature. Results have suggested that every nose is Ôindividually calibratedÕ, because of the interpatient variation, which makes interpatient comparisons less reliable but still significant (44,45).…”

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) 2008*

“…Visual analogue scales are quantitative measures largely validated in many diseases (1401,1402). The scales have been extensively used to assess the severity of rhinitis (728,(1403)(1404)(1405)(1406) as well as the efficacy of therapeutic interventions (118,(1406)(1407)(1408)(1409)(1410). The VAS was proposed by the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters for the symptom severity assessment of allergic rhinitis (118).…”

Nasal airflow dynamics: mechanisms and responses associated with an external nasal dilator strip

“…In some previous studies, subjective assessments of nasal patency have been shown to correlate with quantitative measurements of Rn, although there can be considerable intersubject variability in the strength of this correlation [30,31] with subjects having a higher Rn being more accurate in their perception of nasal patency [3]. However, in other studies, subjective and objective evaluations of nasal patency have also been reported to differ [32].…”