Nasal Cycle Pattern can Transform into Another Form Over Time

Abstract

The nasal cycle is a physiologic phenomenon which is affected by some internal and external agents. This study aimed to determine the changes of nasal cycle in healthy subjects over time. The measurements of nasal cycle were made by using a rhinomanometer during 6 h with 30 min intervals in a total of 18 healthy volunteers. The measurements were repeated after 3 months to detect the alteration of nasal resistance over time. The results for the left and right nostril plotted graphically and then patterns of fluctuation in nasal patency were divided into the four categories as mentioned before in literature. We detected a classic pattern of nasal cycle in 6 of 18 healthy volunteers, noncyclic nose in two individuals and irregular pattern in 10 of them in first rhinomanometry measurements. In second measurements after 3 months, seven subjects exhibited different pattern from that in first examination. One participant who had noncyclic nose 3 months ago transformed to irregular pattern and two subjects present noncyclic nose which showed irregular pattern in first measurements. We strikingly detected the changes in the types and presence of nasal cycles over time and suggested that nasal cycle measurements should be made in extended time intervals.

Keywords

• Nasal cycle, nasal airflow, anterior rhinomanometry, rhinomanometer

Nasal Cycle Pattern can Transform into Another Form Over Time

Öz

Nazal siklus, bazı iç ve dış ajanlardan etkilenen fizyolojik bir olaydır. Bu çalışma sağlıklı bireylerde nazal siklusun zamanla değişimini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Nazal siklus ölçümleri bir rinomanometre kullanılarak toplam 18 sağlıklı gönüllüde 6 saat süresince 30 dk aralıklarla yapıldı. Nazal siklusun zamanla değişimini tespit etmek için, ölçümler üç ay sonra tekrar edildi. Sol ve sağ nostrilden yapılan ölçüm sonuçları grafik olarak çizildi ve nazal mukozanın fluktuasyon patterni, literatürde verilen şekli ile dört tipe ayrıldı. İlk rinomanometrik ölçümlerde, çalışmaya katılan 18 sağlıklı gönüllüden 6’sında klasik paternde nazal siklus, 2 bireyde non-siklik burun ve 10 bireyde irregüler tip nazal siklus tespit ettik. Üç ay sonra yapılan ikinci ölçümlerde, 7 gönüllü ilk muayeneden farklı tipte nazal siklus sergiledi. Üç ay önce non-siklik burun tespit edilen bir katılımcı irregüler paterne değişim göstermişti ve ilk ölçümlerde irregüler patern gösteren iki bireyde non-siklik burun ortaya çıkmıştı. Nazal siklusun uzun zaman aralığında farklı siklus paternine dönüşebileceğini tespit ettik. Nazal siklus çalışmalarında bu durumun göz önünde bulundurulması uygun olacaktır

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Nazal siklus, nazal havaakımı, anterior rinomanometri, rinomanometre

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