• ENT
  • Quality of life

NOSE score

Discomfort related to nasal congestion

The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) measures the discomfort experienced in connection with nasal obstruction. It helps document symptoms and their progression, particularly during ENT management. It does not determine the anatomical or inflammatory cause of the obstruction.

Number of questions
5 questions
Approximate duration
1 to 2 minutes
Population
Adults with nasal obstruction
Modality
Self-administered questionnaire

QuestionnaireNOSE

SELF-QUESTIONNAIRE

Five questions about nasal discomfort over the past month, each scored from 0 (no problem) to 4 (severe problem).

Are you patient?

You can fill in this questionnaire yourself. It helps describe your discomfort, but on its own, it cannot determine why your nose is blocked.

Question 1 / 5

1

Problem caused by the sensation of having a stuffed nose

Terms of contract

The healthcare professional can compare the result with the main complaint and the administration conditions. Any change in discomfort should be analysed alongside clinical findings, not just as a numerical difference. Keep the same reference period for subsequent measurements.

Score interpretationNOSE

The sum of the five scores (0 to 4) gives a raw score from 0 to 20, which is multiplied by 5 to obtain the final score out of 100, in increments of five.

Total score

First reading

  • 0 to 25

    Mild discomfort due to nasal obstruction (0 to 25 out of 100).

  • 30 to 50

    Moderate discomfort related to nasal obstruction (30 to 50 out of 100).

  • 55 to 75

    Significant discomfort related to nasal obstruction (55 to 75 out of 100).

  • 80 to 100

    Severe discomfort due to nasal obstruction (80 to 100 out of 100).

0 to 25: mild obstruction; 30 to 50: moderate; 55 to 75: significant; 80 to 100: severe. Categories based on a retrospective study conducted in a specialist centre.

The NOSE score is subjective and does not replace a nasal examination. The total score does not distinguish between the different causes of obstruction. The classes describe the severity of reported symptoms, not a percentage of anatomical obstruction or an automatic surgical indication.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and references

Michael G. Stewart et al.

Initial validation: Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 2004. Severity classification: Lipan and Most, JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 2013.

Questionnaires and associated scores

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