Primary school children often underestimate their nasal obstruction

Abstract

Background: No consensus has ever been reached about the correlation between nasal resistance and the subjective sensation of nasal patency. The aim of the present study was to better de ne whether primary school and secondary school aged children correctly estimate their nasal obstruction. Materials and methods: Two hundred eighty four children (168 males and 116 female) aged between 6 and 14 years (9.5+2.9 years) affected by Pediatric Allergic Rhinitis underwent Rhinomanometry and they were considered as correctly estimating their nasal obstruction when the grade of nasal patency corresponded to the severity of the NOSE score, overestimating when the grade of nasal patency was <1 when compared to the severity of the score, underestimating when the grade of nasal patency was >1 when compared to the severity of the score. Results: Correlation between NOSE score and nasal patency was statistically significant (r -0.74; p<0.001). Children between 6 and 9 years of age underestimate (43.7%) and children >12 overestimate (34.7%) their symptoms more frequently than children among other age ranges (p<0.001). Conclusion: Although NOSE score approximately allow to quantify nasal obstruction, in children, especially between 6 and 9 years of age, an objective measurement of nasal patency should be performed to better define the therapeutic approach.

Role of Nasal Nitric Oxide in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia and Other Respiratory Conditions in Children

“…Other studies found the same reduction in nNO in adults and children with allergic rhinitis treated with nasal corticosteroids [44]. At a molecular level, the corticosteroid effect is explained by the inhibition of the transcription nuclear factor (NF-kB) that normally mediates the transcription of the iNOS gene [45].…”