Background: Hormonal changes during pregnancy have a substantial effect on the swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity, resulting in rhinitis and Eustachian tube dysfunction. The aim of the study was to assess subjective and objective changes in nasal cavity and Eustachian tube patency in the third trimester of pregnancy. Materials and Methods: The study group included fifty 18–41 year-old women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The control group consisted of 25 females aged 25 to 31 who were not pregnant. The Eustachian tube and nasal cavity patency examination was carried out using a rhinomanometer, a tympanometer and a SNOT-22 Questionnaire. Results: The SNOT-22 showed that subjective nasal obstruction was assessed as strong or worse by 42% of the study group, which was significantly higher than in the control group and confirmed with rhinomanometry. A total of 68% of the study group reported a subjective ear fullness which correlated with the week of pregnancy. The tympanometry showed that all pregnant women exhibited a type A tympanogram, but tympanometry values decreased at higher weeks of pregnancy, and statistical analysis confirmed a significant difference between the study group and the control group in tympanometry for both ears. Conclusions: The results highlight the substantial impact on both subjective and objective measurements of nasal and Eustachian tube patency. Almost every woman in the third trimester of pregnancy experiences nasal obstruction, and nearly 70% struggle with ear fullness. Recognizing and addressing these challenges are pivotal for ensuring the well-being of pregnant individuals and enhancing the quality of antenatal care.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during pregnancy can negatively affect both the mother and the baby. Our main goal is to show whether there is an association between OSA during pregnancy and delivering small for gestational age (SGA) infants. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 statement using three databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. All databases were last accessed on 1 June 2023. The implemented systematic literature search identified 744 articles. After excluding reviews, meta-analyses, book chapters, case reports, and letters, 47 studies were analyzed, 18 of which finally met the inclusion criteria. The included studies mainly indicate that OSA during pregnancy may not significantly impact SGA, but some of them have shown the existence of this relation. Nevertheless, it is recommended that all pregnant women should be screened for symptoms of OSA and that sleep tests should be performed on those who show signs of it. Detecting and treating OSA early in pregnancy can help reduce the condition’s negative effects. However, more extensive studies are still needed to gather clear evidence on the impact of an OSA diagnosis on mothers and babies.

(1) Background: Estrogen and progesterone, hormones specific to females, undergo fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. The aim of this study was to assess subjective and objective changes in nasal cavity and Eustachian tube patency depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle in two groups of women: those in a follicular phase group and those in a luteal phase group. (2) Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 25 healthy non-pregnant women aged 24 to 32. Based on the phase of the cycle confirmed in sonography, they were divided into follicular phase (FP) and luteal phase (LP) groups. The Eustachian tube and nasal cavity patency examination was carried out using a SNOT-22 Questionnaire, a rhinomanometer, and a tympanometer. (3) Results: We observed that the incidence of nasal obstruction in SNOT-22 was significantly dependent on the cycle phase (p = 0.012) and was lower in the FP compared to the LP. Similar relationships were noticed between the cycle phase and the rhinomanometry outcome, where the LP was associated with a lower flow. We also revealed that the incidence of ear blockage significantly depended on the cycle phase (p = 0.001) and was lower in the FP compared to the LP. Women whose nasal patency deteriorated during the LP also had more negative pressure values in tympanometry. We observed that patients with negative PEAK L and R levels had a lower flow in rhinomanometry. (4) Conclusions: The results highlight the menstrual cycle’s substantial impact on both subjective and objective nasal and Eustachian tube patency measurements. The novel finding in this study is that women whose nasal patency deteriorated during the luteal phase also had more negative pressure values in tympanometry. These results suggest that the deterioration of hearing during the menstrual cycle could be a result of swelling of the nasal mucosa and tubes.

Background/Objectives: During pregnancy, the body undergoes numerous physiological changes, many of which are driven by significant hormonal shifts. Pregnancy rhinitis is a condition characterized by nasal congestion that occurs during pregnancy without any other signs of respiratory infection or known allergic causes. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of pregnancy rhinitis on the sense of smell. Specifically, it focused on determining how the nasal congestion associated with pregnancy rhinitis may alter olfactory perception in pregnant people. Methods: The study group comprised fifty women, aged 18 to 41, all in their third trimester of pregnancy. The control group was made up of 25 non-pregnant women between the ages of 25 and 31. Olfactory function was assessed using Sniffin’ Sticks, and each participant completed the SNOT-22 questionnaire. Additionally, ENT examination, nasofiberoscopy, rhinomanometry were performed. Results: The comparison between the control and study groups in terms of detection, discrimination, and identification test scores revealed statistically significant differences. The study group demonstrated lower odor average test scores, indicating worse olfactory acuity and poorer identification abilities, with these effects being strong. In addition, the study group showed a lower discrimination test score compared to the study group, though this effect was weak. On the other hand, the control group showed a higher level of discrimination test score compared to the study group, though this effect was weak. However, the pregnant women did not perceive any subjective impairment in their sense of smell even though they had smell disturbances confirmed in the Sniffin Stick test. The SNOT-22 questionnaire results indicated that the study group reported subjectively worse nasal patency compared to the control group. Conclusions: This controlled study demonstrated that olfactory disturbances, confirmed by the Sniffin’ Sticks test, affected half of the pregnant participants, with reduced smell sensitivity observed in advanced pregnancy compared to non-pregnant controls. Notably, more than half of the women with objectively confirmed olfactory deficits did not report subjective complaints, highlighting the need for greater clinical awareness of sensory changes during pregnancy. Pregnancy-related swelling of the nasal mucosa leads to impaired upper airway airflow, contributing to a reduction in olfactory sensitivity.