The effect of cigarette smoking on nasal mucociliary activity

ABSTRACT

Nasal mucociliary transport rates of healthy twenty male non-smokers and twenty cigarette smokers (20-39 years) were measured using Saccharin Crystal Technique by Proctor (1973). The mean nasal mucociliary transport rate of non-smokers was found to be 10.17 mm/min. with a range of 8.78 to 12.22 mm/min. and that of cigarette smokers was 7.95 mm/min ranging from 7.04 mm/min. Significant decrease (p<0.0010 in nasal mucociliary transport rate was observed in cigarette smokers.