A runny nose, or leaky nose, are the common terms for rhinorrhea or nasal discharge. In most cases, nasal discharge is due to hypersecretion of mucus from the lining of the nasal passages. However, pus and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may also exit through the nose. Nasal discharge is in most cases accompanied by sneezing, as >> Read More ...
What is rhinitis? Rhinitis is the term for inflammation of the lining of the nasal passages. This epithelial lining contains hairs to filter incoming air, produces mucus to trap dust and dirt and has sensory receptors which can trigger the sneeze reflex to expel any irritants. When inflamed or irritated, it triggers a >> Read More ...
What is a sneeze? A sneeze is a sudden and forceful expiration of air through the nose or sometimes partly through the mouth. Its function is to clear the nasal passages of any irritants. However, sneezing is a common feature of the various nasal disorders even though no irritant is present in the nasal passages. This is >> Read More ...
An offensive smelling odor from the ear is often assumed to be a sign of infection but there are other non-infectious causes that also need to be considered. The odor may be associated with an ear discharge, ear wax or occur on its own for no clearly identifiable reason. Due to the rather small entrance to the ear canal, >> Read More ...
Swallowing is a process of moving food and drink from the mouth to the stomach. It is composed of three phases that starts in the throat and extends down to the esophagus. Swallowing is partly voluntary but mainly an involuntary reflex that comprises a well coordinated sequence of events to complete its function. The >> Read More ...
The throat (pharynx) is the conduit for air, food and drinks to pass between the environment and the respiratory or gastrointestinal system. Problems in the throat may give rise to a number of signs or symptoms. In addition, given its close interaction with neighboring structures – the mouth, nasal cavity, larynx and >> Read More ...
Hearing loss may be partial or complete (deafness). Conditions affecting the outer ear and middle ear may affect the conduction of sound and is therefore known as conductive hearing loss. Another type of impairment is sensorineural hearing loss, which affects the conversion of mechanical sounds waves into electrical >> Read More ...
The nose plays a significant role in respiration (breathing) and the nasal cavity contain the sensory organs for smell. Any disorder affecting the nose can affect both smell and breathing, although the latter may not be significantly impaired as air can pass through the mouth. Most nose problems will present with one or >> Read More ...
Ear pain, often referred to as an earache, is one of the more common ear problems. The intensity can vary from mild discomfort o a dull ache or even severe pain. Common causes of earache usually result in acute pain although there are may causes of recurrent or persistent pain. An earache may be insiduous – it may >> Read More ...
The human ear can be divided into 3 parts – external, middle and internal – with each part playing an integral role in the sense of hearing, while the internal ear has an added function for equilibrium. The external (outer) and middle ear transmit sound waves to the internal (inner) ear. Here mechanical sound >> Read More ...
