Can a gentle nasal breeze unclog the Lungs' smallest airways?

This study looks at how nasal high-flow therapy—a device that delivers warm, moist air through small nasal tubes—affects the airways of people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers will measure airway resistance and other lung mechanics using a non-invasive test called oscillometry, which requires only quiet breathing. Twenty adults with stable severe COPD who have never used this therapy will receive it for four hours, with measurements taken at several time points. The goal is to see if the therapy produces measurable, time-dependent changes in the small airways, which could help explain how it might ease breathing.