The Effect of Pressure and Warmth Applied to the Axilla on Unilateral Nasal Airway Resistance and Facial Skin Temperature

Abstract

The effect of pressure, warmth, and control stimuli applied to the axilla and lateral chest wall on unilateral nasal airway resistance and facial skin temperature was investigated in 60 healthy adults. Nasal resistance was measured by posterior rhinomanometry and skin temperature with an infrared thermometer. A significant increase in unilateral nasal resistance ipsilateral to the applied stimulus was seen with both pressure and warmth (p = 0.006, p = 0.02). A decrease in unilateral nasal resistance contralateral to the stimulus was seen in both these groups, but this was not significant (p = 0.45, p =0.81). The control stimulus group showed a non-significant increase in unilateral nasal resistance ipsilateral to the applied stimulus (p = 0.55), and a significant rise in unilateral nasal resistance on the contralateral side (p = 0.008). There were no significant differences between the ipsilateral and contralateral facial skin temperatures before or after the application of a unilateral pressure, warm or control stimulus. A significant bilateral increase in facial temperature was observed during the course of the experiment in all three groups. The mechanisms of induced changes in unilateral nasal resistance are discussed. The results increase our knowledge of the corporo-nasal reflex and demonstrate that the reciprocal changes in sympathetic tone to the nasal capacitance blood vessels are independent from any parallel reflex changes in sympathetic tone to cutaneous blood vessels.

Key Words:

• rhinomanometry
• nasal cycle
• autonomic asymmetry
• corporo-nasal reflex