Oral Physical Findings in Patients with Chronic Nasal Obstruction

Abstract

Background: Although chronic nasal obstruction causes mouth breathing, it causes changes in orofacial anatomy to compensate reduced airflow and facilitate breathing. As a result there is a mismatch between growth and evolution of orofacial structures.The aim of this study is to find oral physical findings in patients with chronic nasal obstruction. Methods: All patients referred to the clinic and ward in Imam Reza Hospital during 2019-2020, who suffered from chronic nasal obstruction, were examined and the findings of the examination included Tonsil size, tongue size, mallampati, tonsillar pillars size, palate height, palate thickness, ovula length, hypertrophy of nasal turbines,septal deviation, long face, neck circumference were compared among case and control groups.And also STOP-BANG score was calculated and risk of OSAS was shown. Results: In this study, the average age of people with nasal obstruction was 42.89±14.30. In physical examinations of the mouth, the size of the tonsils and the size of the neck did not differ significantly between two groups, but other positive examinations were significantly higher in patients with chronic nasal obstruction and there was no significant difference in blood pressure, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, IHD, fatty liver in the control group. Only patients with nasal obstruction complained significantly more than the control group of hearing loss. Conclusion: The frequency of tongue enlargement, soft palate, and thick palate and Malapmati score were significantly higher in people with chronic nasal obstruction.