Page 6 - Polite-yawning_manual for SLPs

THE LARYNX-BYPASS ALSO CALLED SMELL TUBEWhen it is not immediately evident whether the sense of smell is only impaired because a nasal air flow is lacking, or that there may also be a perceptive or conductive impairment, a larynx-bypass can be a useful tool to establish this. This instrument connects the trachea with the mouth, so that the laryngectomee can breathe through the nose again. When he/she is not able to smell the test odors with this device, teaching the polite-yawning technique is often pointless. An Otolaryngologist will have to examine the patient first and and possibly start treatment.