The influence of nasal respiration on the function of the auditory tube.

The importance of treating disturbances of nasal ventilation before any surgical intervention on the ear is stressed in many papers. It is said that ventilation of the auditory tube is not normal when respiration through the nose is handicapped. Based on these considerations, we have investigated by tympanometry the influence of abnormalities of nasal respiration measured by rhinomanometry on the auditory tube function. There was no significant relation between osseous occlusion of nasal ventilation or a swelling of the nasal mucous membranes or conchas and a dysfunction of the tube. The middle ear pressure varied within the normal range. This indicates that treatment of impaired nasal respiration before an operation on the ear is only necessary when an ascending nasal infection is feared or if there is nasopharyngeal disease.