Abstract
Assessing patients with complaints of nasal obstruction has traditionally been done
by evaluation of the nasal airway looking for fixed or dynamic obstructive locations
that could impair nasal airflow. Not infrequently, however, symptoms of nasal obstruction
do not match the clinical examination of the nasal airway. Addressing this subset
of patients may be a challenge to the surgeon. Evaluation of patients with symptoms
of nasal obstruction should include a combination of a patient-reported assessment
of nasal breathing and at least one objective method for measuring nasal airflow or
nasal airway resistance or dimensions. This will allow distinction between patients
with symptoms of nasal obstruction and low airflow or high nasal airway resistance
and patients with similar symptoms but whose objective evaluation demonstrates normal
nasal airflow or normal airway dimensions or resistance. Patients with low nasal airflow
or high nasal airway resistance will require treatment to increase nasal airflow as
a necessary step to improve symptoms, whereas patients with normal nasal airflow or
nasal airway resistance will require a multidimensional assessment looking for less
obvious causes of impaired nasal breathing sensation.
Keywords
nasal airway evaluation - nasal airflow evaluation - nasal breathing evaluation
