ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There has been many attempts to find out the changes in the nasal mucociliary transport function under various conditions. In this study, we intended to determine if air in a sauna exerts any beneficial effect on the nasal mucociliary function using the saccharin method, which is regarded as the proper screening test for nasal mucociliary function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Normal healthy adults (16 men, 15 women) aged from 18 to 22 volunteered for this study. We measured each saccharin transit time (STT) twice, inside a room (25degreesC, 85%), a dry sauna (70degreesC, 85%), and a wet sauna (70degreesC, 100%), respectively. RESULTS: The average STT was 7.98+/-2.95 minutes at the room, 8.47+/-1.71 at the dry sauna, and 7.59+/-2.95 at the wet sauna. There was no meaningful relationships of STT among each condition (p=0.157). CONCLUSION: Air in a sauna has neither any beneficial effect on the nasal mucociliary function nor any harmful effect on it.