The Nose The nose is a organ used for breathing and smelling that is found in the center of the face above the mouth. In this report you will learn about how it works, and things that can affect it. At the end of the nose there is a pair of nostrils, these allow you to breathe in air and exhale it. At the end of the nostrils comes the nasal cavity. Going farther up, the cavities divide into 3 shelf-like bones called nasal concha e or turbinates these warm inhaled air.
From there the sinuses open into the cavity. If these are blocked they are called sinusitis. The outside of the nose consists of a elastic tissue called cartilage. It is a flexible tissue that can bend and it is found on other parts of the body. The air is inhaled, it goes to through the nasal passages through the pharynx and trachea and into the lungs, in a continues movement. When air is exhaled, most of the air goes out at once, but some remained in the nose until another breath is taken.
The sense of smell is very closely related to the sense of taste. Sometimes the odor makes us think what the food will taste like, if we did not have the sense of smell the sense of taste would be greatly affected, you would have the basic tastes but nothing like you have now. Smell occurs in the olfactory, this is where nerve receptors lie, then passes through to the mouth causing most of the sensation of taste. Some things that may happen to the nose include: a nosebleed, colds allergies, loss of smell and taste as well. When we have a cold, the infection inflames the mucous membranes making it very difficult to smell. A histamine is realised, which makes blood go to the nose causing stuffiness.
The rhinitis is the inflammation of the nose and nasal cavities, this is what causes the nose to plug and be unable to breath. Congestion often interferes with sleep. Doctors say that if you sleep on your side with you head elevated over 4 inches, this should help the stuffiness to go down. Other forms of relief are available if this is uncomfortable for you. Chronic sinus infections can be very painful, sometimes they are not, they may be repetitive or you may only have them once, but after you have them once, you are more likely to get it again.
These may be bronchitis and asthma. Although asthma is a horrible allergy, it may be caused from chronic sinus infections. Some allergies that may come along are: asthma, hay fever, whooping cough ect. Many things may affect these, like trees, grass, pollen, molds and many others. Although it may be difficult to avoid them, this is usually what can make them less irritating. Antihistamines and decongestants are available to cause the swelling of the nose to go down.
When you exercise vigorously, the adrenaline increases which causes constricts nasal vessels and other passages to open up and make breathing easier. A nosebleed is caused by a irritation to the inside tissue of the nose, if it is hit or scratched, it may cause bleeding. To make the bleeding stop pinch the top of the sinuses gently while tilting the head forward, avoid tilting back, this may cause the blood to run into the stomach and cause irritation and infections there. The nose is a organ that has many useful purposes, it is also taken for granted very highly, if we did not have the sense of smell we would not have the sense of taste. It may cause problems, but they can al be fixed so in short it is a very useful tool in every day life.