What are your Sinuses?

Everyone has sinuses or paranasal sinus cavities.

Sinuses are four paired air-filled cavities positioned in strategic positions around your nose, eyes and check areas and form a fundamental part of the skull. They are classified according to the bone in which they are found.

The four sinus cavities are:

1. Maxillary Sinus Cavities – are found under the eyes and above the upper teeth. The maxillary sinus cavities are the largest of the four sinuses. Toothache and pressure around the cheek area is a common symptom of a maxillary sinus infection.
2. Sphenoid Sinus Cavities – are located posterior (behind) to the eye ball. Any infection in this area can cause pain around the temples and back of the eye sockets.
3. Ethmoid Sinus Cavities – are located in-between the eyes. An infection in these sinus cavities can cause pain in-between the eyes. This pain can extend to the forehead and cause headaches.
4. Frontal Sinus Cavities – are found above the eye and eye bone. Headaches or pains in the forehead may occur if this area becomes infected.

Why do we have Sinus Cavities?

Sinus cavities are very important for the following reasons:

1. They help reduce the weight of the skull.
2. They help to increase the air moisture and humidify the air entering through the nostrils.
3. They provide a large surface area for foreign particles to attach to the mucus linings thereby preventing these from fully entering the body and causing further damage.
4. Sinus cavities help add to voice resonance and quality and are the reason for our distinct vocal characteristics.
5. These air pockets can serve as “mini airbags” providing a cushioning during any facial trauma and help protect the delicate brain tissue.
6. They provide insulation to prevent delicate organs such as the eyes from overheating.

What is mucus and how is mucus produced?

The membranes lining the nose and sinus cavities contain minute hair-like cells called cilia. Imagine millions of tiny sweeping brushes, brushing a large area free of dust and debris; this is what the cilia do.

In addition to the above function, cilia also secrete a fluid like substance known as mucus. This means that the floor of our sinus cavities will not only be brushed clean of foreign and unwanted material but will also be washed clean by mucus.

Mucus is a clear, slimy liquid substance found in most of the body’s tubes e.g. the lungs, digestive system and reproductive system and not only in the nasal passages. The body produces around 2 quarts of mucus daily, without you being consciously aware of this. It is this liquid that is responsible for holding onto any foreign particles entering the nasal passages and safely removing or preventing them from entering important organs.

When something irritates the mucus membrane linings, more of this clear liquid, sticky (mucus) is produced in a response to the irritation. It is this increased mucus production which puts strain on our tiny cilia brushes making them unable to remove all the mucus. This mucus will then become stagnant and dry out resulting in congestion and sinus pressure.

Movement of Mucus

When foreign particles come into contact with the mucus membranes, these membranes secrete more mucus in a bid to wash away the unwanted particles. As the irritation progresses, the mucus membranes become inflamed, blocking off any possible exit (ostia) pathways for the mucus to drain.

This process results in the impairment of the cilia’s sweeping function and causes mucus to dry out and become sticky and thick.

It is this thick, sticky mucus that promotes sinusitis, nasal blockages, sinus pressure and congestion.

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