Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Small within-subject physiological study in healthy volunteers with no randomization described
PubMed 12119224 · doi:10.1164/rccm.200202-138BC
What was done
Ten healthy subjects were tested to determine the effect of oscillating airflow from humming on nasal nitric oxide (NO) levels. Nasal NO was measured with a chemiluminescence technique during humming and during quiet single-breath exhalations at a fixed flow rate. Gas exchange was also evaluated in a two-compartment model representing the nose and sinus cavities.
What was found
Nasal NO increased 15-fold during humming compared with quiet exhalation. In the two-compartment model, oscillating airflow caused a dramatic increase in gas exchange between the cavities. The abstract reports no absolute concentrations, baseline values, or measures of statistical variance.
Why it matters
This demonstrates that oscillating airflow enhances sinus ventilation and the transit of nitric oxide into the nasal cavity, offering a potential noninvasive method to assess ostial patency.
Limits
The study was limited to 10 healthy participants and did not test individuals with sinusitis or obstructed sinus ostia. The abstract does not report baseline measurements, absolute numbers, or variance. Clinical diagnostic or therapeutic value was not tested.
Cited by
- context Preliminary studies show that sound vibration stimulates the production of nitric oxide in the body.