[Effectiveness of external nasal dilators in nasal ventilatory obstruction. Objective improvement or placebo effect?]

External nasal dilators have become popular among athletes and the general public. When applied to the nares, the device theoretically increases the nasal valve area and decreases total airway resistance. There are doubts regarding the true benefits of this device as opposed to a possible placebo effect. In order to resolve this question, the subjective sensation was compared with an objective measurement in two different groups: a group of 20 persons who complained of nasal insufficiency and a group of 20 control subjects. Computer rhinometry was used for objective measurements and psychological parameters were evaluated with a questionnaire.