Decrease of resistance to air flow with nasal strips as measured with the airflow perturbation device

Abstract

Background: Nasal strips are used by athletes, people who snore, and asthmatics to ease the burden of breathing. Although there are some published studies that demonstrate higher flow with nasal strips, none had directly measured the effect of the strips on nasal resistance using the airflow perturbation device (APD). The APD is an inexpensive instrument that can measure respiratory resistance based on changes in mouth pressure and rate of airflow.

Method: This study tested forty-seven volunteers (14 men and 33 women), ranging in age from 17 to 51. Each volunteer was instructed to breathe normally into the APD using an oronasal mask with and without nasal strips. The APD measured respiratory resistance during inhalation, exhalation, and an average of the two.

Results: Results of a paired mean t-test comparing nasal strip against no nasal strip were statistically significant at the p = 0.05 level. The Breathe Right nasal dilator strips lowered nasal resistance by an average of 0.5 cm H20/Lps from an average nasal resistance of 5.5 cm H20/Lps.

Conclusions: Nasal strips reduce nasal resistance when measured with the APD. The effect is equal during exhalation and during inhalation.

Figures

Figure 1

The APD Sensor consists of a rotating wheel in the air path, a pneumotach, and pressure transducers [15]

Figure 2

The APD system consists of pressure and flow transducers, analog-to-digital conversion, and a computer display of results [1].

Figure 3

Average oral respiratory resistance measured with a mouthpiece and an oronasal mask. There is almost perfect agreement between the two methods.

Figure 4

Average respiratory resistance while breathing through the nose in 47 subjects. Nasal strips showed a decrease of nasal resistance of 0.43 cm H2O/Lps.