Nasal airway resistance after decongestion with a nasal spray or a bellows device

Two methods for decongestion of the nasal mucosa were compared, a conventional nasal spray and a bellows device, the reproducibility of rhinomanometric measurements being investigated in both cases. Nasal airway resistance (NAR) was measured in 18 patients (during late autumn) before, 10 min, and 20 min after decongestion with an oxymetazoline solution from a bellows device, and the measurements were repeated one week later. About three months later (during spring) the measurements were repeated in the same 18 patients, but with a xylometazoline nasal spray being used for decongestion. With neither method were any differences in NAR found between 10 and 20 min after decongestion, or between any of the values (before or after decongestion) and the respective values obtained after one week. The NAR values of the undecongested total nose and the wider nose cavity were significantly higher during the late autumn than during the spring, as were also a few values after decongestion. We found no evidence that the bellows method is superior to the spray method in reducing NAR.