Is chronic nasal obstruction due to nasal polyposis effective on exercise capacity?

AIM: Bilateral nasal polyps cause chronic nasal obstruction in the patient, which affects the quality of life of the patients. This quality of life can be evaluated with various quality of life scales and these scales are subjective. In our study, we examined the effect of chronic obstruction caused by nasal polyposis on the exercise capacity of patients and the effect of an acute obstruction on exercise capacity by using the objective six-minute walking test alongside the Sino-nasal Outcome Test 22, which is a subjective quality of life scale. In our study, we aimed to reveal whether the six-minute walking test can be used as an objective quality of life scale. METHOD: 15 male and 11 female patients who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery in our clinic were included in the study. A control group of 15 males and 11 females without sinonasal disease was formed. Sino-nasal Outcome Test 22 questionnaire and six-minute walking test were applied to the patient group preoperatively and postoperatively in the 1st and 3rd months, and the results were recorded. In the control group, a six-minute walking test was performed, with the nose open and the nose blocked, and the results were recorded. RESULTS: When the preoperative and postoperative 1st month results of the patients were compared, it was observed that the amount of walking in the six-minute walking test increased statistically significantly. Also, the amount of walking increased statistically significantly in the preoperative and postoperative 3 months. In the acutely obstructed control group, patients walked with the nose open statistically significantly more than those with the blocked nose. CONCLUSION: Chronic nasal obstruction caused by nasal polyposis is effective on the six-minute walking test walking distance, i.e. exercise capacity. This effect decreases in the 1st and 3rd months after surgery and the walking distance of the patients increases. We think that the six-minute walking test can be used as a quality of life scale in patients with nasal polyposis. Keywords: Nasal Polyp, Quality Of Life Scales, 6-Minute Walking Test