Effect of heavy smoking on nasal respiratory mucosa

Thirty heavy smokers and 20 non-smokers were chosen to study the effect of heavy smoking on nasal respiratory mucosa. For each subject active anterior rhino manometry was performed together with saccharine clearance time and light microscopic examination of tissues from inferior turbinate. A statistically significant increase in nasal resistance and prolongation in saccharine clearance time were found. Also, marked chronic inflammatory changes were noted