Nasal conditions
Anatomy of the nose and sinuses
The nasal cavities appear as two channels separated by an osteo-cartilaginous septum. They communicate with the outside through the nostrils and open into the nasopharynx through the choanas.
The lateral wall of the nasal cavities has an irregular surface: on it are 3 bone plates (sometimes 4), covered by mucosa, called cornets or turbinates. An inferior turbinate, a middle turbinate, a superior turbinate and sometimes a supreme turbinate are specified in each nasal cavity.
The spaces subtended by the turbinates are called foramina, which communicate with the paranasal sinuses.
The paranasal sinuses are pneumatised cavities of the facial mass which develop during the first years of life and which result in continuity with the nasal cavities. They include:
- maxillary sinuses, two large symmetrical cavities located below the orbits;
- frontal sinuses, irregularly shaped, included in the thickness of the frontal bone above the root of the nose;
- sphenoid sinuses, two cubic-shaped cavities located inside the body of the sphenoid;
- ethmoidal cells, a complex system of small cavities that make up the two ethmoidal labyrinths.
Functions of the nose and paranasal sinuses
There are several nasal functions
- respiration, the nose regulates the air flow through very sophisticated central control systems that guarantee the right oxygen content according to needs
- heating and humidification of the inhaled air through an efficient system of vascularised siphons (the turbinates) which, depending on the air temperature, can increase or reduce in volume. By dilating, they are able to release more heat and a greater share of humidity. Contraction allows greater transit of air since it makes the nasal cavity wider;
- smell, via the epithelium (neuro-epithelium) located on the vault of each nasal cavity;
- defence, guaranteed by a series of systems that provide a barrier against voluminous particles, microparticles and pathogenic microorganisms;
- voice resonance, especially when pronouncing certain phonemes.
Several hypotheses have been formulated about the function of the paranasal sinuses:
- lightening of the skull which would otherwise weigh too much;
- protection of the skull base in case of trauma;
- thermal insulation;
- resonance in vocal emission.
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