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Unlocking the mystery of your sinuses: Answers to 8 common questions

An empty space can be a lot of something. That's the story of your sinuses ― four pairs of air-filled interconnected cavities located between your eyes and nose. Along with the nasal passages in the nose, your sinuses produce and circulate mucus. While the sinuses are small, they can cause a lot of misery for some people. Your sinuses are connected to your external environments through the nasal passages, and your sinuses can be exposed to allergens, viruses, fungi and bacteria. This can lead to inflammation, congestion, excess mucus, pain, postnasal drip and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead.

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Articles of Interest

Airflow in the Human Nasal Passage and Sinuses of Chronic Rhinosinusitis Subjects

Little is known about how sinus surgery affects sinonasal airflow. In this study nasal passage geometry was reconstructed from computed tomographic imaging from healthy normal, pre-operative, and post-operative subjects.

Frontal sinuses and human evolution

Our results additionally undermine hypotheses stating that hominin frontal sinuses were directly affected by biomechanical constraints resulting from either chewing or adaptation to climate. Last, we demonstrate their substantial potential for discussions of the evolutionary relationships between hominin species.

Intranasal and Sinus Anatomy

The paranasal sinuses are pairs of air-filled cavities with variable morphologies located within the bones of the skull. They are lined by a respiratory epithelium and have drainage at specific places on the lateral wall of the nasal cavity. The four of them- the maxillary, the frontal, the ethmoid and the sphenoid sinuses- are named based on their corresponding bones and are respectively (and approximately) inferior, superior, medial and posterior to the orbits. The sinuses are innervated by the ophthalmic and maxillary divisions of trigeminal nerve and their vasculature derives from the ophthalmic and maxillary arteries. Their functions include lightening the skull while severing as a buffer against fractures, resonating the voice, increasing the humidity and heat of inspired air, and insulating against sudden temperature changes. They also have immunological function.

Nose's unheralded neighbor: Maxillary sinuses allow noses to change shapes

The maxillary sinuses, those pouches on either side of the human nose, have a purpose after all: They act as cushions to allow noses to assume different shapes. A new study explains the relationship for the first time.

Sinuses offer new way of studying the evolution of ancient humans

The study also reveals new information about our own evolution, showing links between these sinuses and the size of the frontal lobe from Homo erectus onwards. The size of the sinuses are consistent with the development of a short extension one of the brain's lobes relative to the other, a feature that most humans have today and may be associated with the dominant hand.

Resources

SinusHealth.com

The nose paranasal sinuses (“the sinuses”) are air-filled cavities located within the frontal bone of the face. Each sinus is named for the bone in which it is located.

American Sinus Institute

Human bone is remarkably strong yet lightweight, but if people did not have sinus cavities, they would not be able to lift their heads off their pillows. The four major sinus cavities lighten skulls, giving the head the ability to turn and roll, and look up and down, usually without pain.

KenHub

The prime function of the paranasal sinuses is to protect the organism, mostly by humidifying the inhaled air and facilitating the immune response of the respiratory system.

Teachme Anatomy

The paranasal sinuses are air-filled extensions of the nasal cavity. There are four paired sinuses – named according to the bone in which they are located – maxillary, frontal, sphenoid and ethmoid. Each sinus is lined by a ciliated pseudostratified epithelium, interspersed with mucus-secreting goblet cells.