Nasal reflexes: Reduced sensitivity to CO2 irritation in cigarette smokers
✍ Scribed by Jan D. Dunn; J. Enrique Cometto-Muniz; William S. Cain
- Book ID
- 102290705
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1982
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 347 KB
- Volume
- 2
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0260-437X
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Carbon dioxide inhaled through the nose in concentrations above 10% evokes nasal irritation. As concentration is increased, a non‐systemic, reflexive interruption of inhalation eventually occurs in most persons. This study revealed that smokers have a considerably higher threshold for the reflex. The elevation of threshold occurred to a comparable degree in both male and female smokers, although females generally had a lower threshold than males. It therefore appears that smokers have less sensitivity to nasal irritants. This marks the first instance of a substantial chemosensory difference between smokers and non‐smokers.