Nose blowing propels nasal fluid into the paranasal sinuses. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Intranasal pressures were measured in adults during nose blowing, sneezing, and coughing and were used for fluid dynamic modeling. Sinus CT scans were performed after instillation of radiopaque contrast medium into the nasopharynx followed by nose blowing, sneezing, and coughing. The mean (+/-SD) maximal intranasal pressure was 66 (+/-14) mm Hg during 35 nose blows, 4.6 (+/-3.8) mm Hg during 13 sneezes, and 6.6 (+/-3.8) mm Hg during 18 coughing bouts. A single nose blow can propel up to 1 mL of viscous fluid in the middle meatus into the maxillary sinus. Sneezing and coughing do not generate sufficient pressure to propel viscous fluid into the sinus. Contrast medium from the nasopharynx appeared in >/=1 sinuses in 4 of 4 subjects after a nose blow but not after sneezing or coughing.

publication date

  • February 1, 2000

Research

keywords

  • Nasal Lavage Fluid
  • Nasal Mucosa
  • Nasopharynx
  • Paranasal Sinuses
  • Pressure

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0034053851

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1086/313661

PubMed ID

  • 10671347

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 30

issue

  • 2