Posture-induced nasal obstruction in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Nasal resistance is affected by posture. In this study, the effects of supine and lateral recumbent positions were investigated in eight normal subjects and 31 patients with allergic rhinitis. Of the 31 patients with allergic rhinitis, five showed unilateral complete nasal obstruction and one patient showed bilateral complete obstruction during the change of posture. Total nasal resistance had a tendency to increase with repeating the change of posture (a paired t-test, P < 0.05). The supine and lateral recumbent positions did not induce variable changes in total nasal resistance in normal subjects. Posture induces complete nasal obstruction in the supine or lateral recumbent positions in some patients with allergic rhinitis.