Nose Problems

Nose Problems

• It filters the air you breathe, removing dust, germs and irritants. 
• It warms and moistens the air to keep your lungs and tubes that lead to them from drying out. 
• Your nose also contains the nerve cells that help your sense of smell. 
• When there is a problem with your nose, your whole body can suffer. 
• For example, the stuffy nose of the common cold can make it hard for you to breathe, sleep or get comfortable.

Many problems besides the common cold can affect the nose. They include

• Deviated septum - a shifting of the wall that divides the nasal cavity into halves
• Nasal polyps - soft growths that develop on the lining of your nose or sinuses
• Nosebleeds
• Rhinitis - inflammation of the nose and sinuses sometimes caused by allergies. The main symptom is a runny nose

 

Anosmia-- Loss of smell

Deviated Nasal Septum-- The nasal septum is the part of the nose that separates the two airways and the nostrils. A deviated septum is when there is a shift from the midline or center position. The septal deviation may be severe enough to obstruct the passage of air through the nostrils. This obstruction may predispose the patient to sinusitis, infection and epistaxis (nose bleeds).

Epistaxis (nosebleeds)-- The cause may be a trauma to the nose, but many times the nose bleeds because of nasal congestion due to a nasal allergy,sinus infection, or a cold that irritates and weakens the delicate nasal lining.

Nasal Airway Obstruction-- Blockage/obstruction of the flow of air through the nasal passages most commonly caused by nasal fracture, allergies, deviated nasal septum, nasal deformity and enlarged adenoid tissue.

Nasal Polyps-- A protruding growth from the mucous membrane most commonly caused by chronic infection and allergies.

Rhinitis-- An inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose. Commonly caused by allergies . Symptoms may include sudden attacks of sneezing, swelling of the nasal mucosa, watery discharge from the nose, itching, watering of the eyes.

Sinusitis-- Sinusitis is an infection of the sinuses near the nose. These infections usually occur after a cold or after an allergic inflammation. There are other possible conditions that can lead to sinusitis. 

These may include:

• abnormalities in the structure of the nose
• enlarged adenoids
• infections from a tooth
• trauma to the nose
  foreign objects that are stuck in the nose

Symptoms may include:

• runny nose or cold symptoms that last longer than seven to 10 days
• complaints of drip in the throat from the nose
• headaches
• facial discomfort
• bad breath
• cough
• fever