subject: The Nose and Sinusitis [print this page] The Nose and Sinusitis The Nose and Sinusitis
Our nose is one of the most important of our five senses; its purpose is to keep the air that we breathe fresh and clean before it hits our lungs. Through the use of our olfactory nerves in the nose, we have the ability to smell, and the nose is the main transporter of air to our lungs. When the air comes into our nasal cavity, it is warmed before moving onto the lungs. Before air can go directly into our lungs it passes over small hair like projections and cleaned of debris; these projections are called cilia. These hairs are able to grab dirt and sweep it to the back of our nasal cavity so that it can eventually be expelled either by coughing, sneezing, clearing our throats or blowing our nose. All of these actions help us keep sicknesses at bay and help prevent sinusitis nose.
In order to keep the shape of your face and to prevent it from collapsing, the sinuses form a sort of framework. They are comprised of four paranasal sinuses: the maxillary, ethmoid, frontal and the sphenoid sinuses. This framework allows structure of the face. There are two more passage ways that are made from bone and cartilage- the nasal septum which also provides support to the facial area. Throughout this intricate cavity there are small blood vessels that heat the mucus that captures hazardous chemicals, dirt and allergens before they can be passed into our lungs. This is the substance that lines our entire nose, the mucous membrane.
The only difference between the nasal cavity and the sinuses are the openings; the openings in the sinuses are smaller and are called ostia. Mucus goes into the sinus cavity after it passes through the nasal cavity. This can sometimes be a problem since these openings are smaller and therefore things such as dust and dirt can become lodged. When mucus builds up after time, it creates a blockage of sorts. This is often caused just by the daily secretion of mucus that takes place. This happens more so when your body is fighting a cold and can even happen more often if you have asthma. As this mucus builds up and becomes overwhelming, it can lead to nasal irritation and inflammation and then eventually to chronic sinusitis nose. A cold that lingers on past the normal duration is usually the culprit for sinusitis; it also can lead to bacterial, viral or fungal infections.
Sinusitis is not the most comfortable thing to have to deal with but you can try to find some relief. You may want to initially try to do some steam therapies such as a hot shower or just sitting in the steamy bathroom. If this doesn't work, apply warm clothes to the facial region to try to take away some swelling and pressure from sinusitis nose. By doing this you can alleviate the pain. Making a nasal solution of hot water and salt may help to break up the mucus that is causing the blockage.
Simple remedies such as steam or a hot water salt rinse for your sinus cavities are safe and easy steps to take. If you get no relief, however, you should be careful about using medications because with sinus medications, as with any type of medications, you need to be careful of adverse effects on the body. Even some herbal remedies can have adverse effects. Make sure that you consult with your doctor before taking any herbal or over the counter medications. The problem may be more severe than you think and a specialist like an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor may be the only solution to your problem.
