A. J. Januszkiewicz

Effects of Drinking Hot Water, Cold Water, and Chicken Soup on Nasal Mucus Velocity and Nasal Airflow Resistance

Nasal mucus velocity and nasal airflow resistance were measured in 15 healthy subjects before and at 5 and 30 minutes after drinking hot water by sip or straw, hot chicken soup by sip or straw, and cold water by sip. A sham drinking procedure with straw was also employed. Hot water by sip increased nasal mucus velocity from 6.2 to 8.4 mm per min, hot chicken soup by sip from 6.9 to 9.2 mm per min, and chicken soup by straw from 6.4 to 7.8 mm per min five minutes after administration. These increases were statistically significant compared to cold water, hot water by straw and sham. All values returned to their baseline at 30 minutes except cold water which significantly decreased the nasal mucus velocity from 7.3 to 4.5 mm per min. There were no significant changes from baseline in nasal airflow resistance 5 and 30 minutes following the above treatments. We conclude that drinking hot fluids transiently increases nasal mucus velocity in part or totally through the nasal inhalation of water vapor. Hot chicken soup, either through the aroma sensed at the posterior nares or through a mechanism related to taste, appears to possess an additional substance for increasing nasal mucus velocity. Finally, hot liquid might be superior to cold liquids in the management of fluids in upper respiratory tract infections.

Cardiopulmonary effects of short-term nitrogen dioxide exposure in conscious sheep

Abstract We used conscious sheep to (a) evaluate the airway effects of 2-hr exposures to 7.5 and 15 ppm NO2, and (b) to measure pulmonary hemodynamics after a 4-hr exposure to 15 ppm NO2. Bronchial reactivity to aerosolized carbachol (BR), tracheal mucous velocity (TMV), and mechanics of breathing were determined to assess whether NO2 induced airway effects immediately and 24 hr after exposure. The hemodynamic measurements included arterial blood gases, estimates of diffusing capacity, combined capillary blood and tissue volume, cardiac output, and pulmonary vascular pressures. In 10 sheep 7.5 ppm NO2 did not significantly alter mean pulmonary resistance prior to carbachol challenge (Rpul), BR, or TMV. However, in 5 of these 10 animals, enhanced BR was apparent immediately after the exposure. In 10 animals, 15 ppm NO2 did not produce significant changes in mean Rpul or BR, although in 7 animals there was a mean increase of 113% in Rpul immediately after the exposure, while BR was evident in 2 other sheep. TMV was, however, significantly depressed immediately after this exposure. In six sheep, who breathed 15 ppm NO2 for 4 hr, Rpul was significantly elevated immediately after the exposure. In the same animals, there were no changes in arterial blood gases, cardiac output, pulmonary vascular pressures, systemic pressure, diffusing capacity, and combined pulmonary tissue plus capillary blood volume. We conclude that in conscious sheep (a) exposures to 7.5 and 15 ppm NO2 for 2 hr may induce BR or elevations in Rpul, (b) exposure to 15 ppm NO2 for 2 hr depresses TMV, while exposure to 7.5 ppm NO2 for 2 hr has no effect on TMV, and (c) 15 ppm NO2 for 4 hr has no effects on pulmonary hemodynamics.