Nasal mucus clearance in chronic smokers.

Smokers were observed to have grossly prolonged nasal mucus clearance. It was also inferred that the persons smoking bidi/unfiltered cigarettes had significant depression of ciliary activity. The clearance was prolonged as the number of cigarettes smoked and the duration of smoking increased. It was greater among those who gave a history of nasal exhalation of inhaled smoke. Nasal mucociliary clearance measurement is easy to measure and can be a useful index in evaluating the effect of smoking on the ciliary activity of the mucosa of the respiratory tract.