Although chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with severe asthma and breathing pattern disorder (BPD) are associated, nasal obstruction and CRS status do not increase the incidence of BPD, according to a study published in the Journal of Asthma. Harsha H. Kariyawasam, PhD, and colleagues examined 130 patients with BPD (N=69) to assess whether CRS status, polyp disease, or peak nasal inspiratory flow (PNIF) increased the rate of BPD. The study team also assessed measures of airway function and breathlessness as well as demographic factors in relation to CRS subtypes and BPD status. They observed that the incidence of BPD in CRS with severe asthma was 53.1%. No difference was noted for BPD occurrence between CRS with nasal polyps and CRS without nasal polyps. Among the BPD and non-BPD groups, PNIF and the mean polyp grade were not statistically different. Breathlessness was not intensified by nasal polyps.
