NOSE

• Nares - provide access to the nasopharynx through structured lines with mucous membranes
• Nasal Mucosa - Ciliated epithelium cells with goblet cells produce mucus, which traps bacteria and air pollutants.
• Cillia - small hairs that filter air
• Turbinates - Bony conchae (folds) of the internal nasal walls that increase the surface area for air to be filtered, warmed, and humidified before entering the lungs.
• Nasal flaring - Suggests respiratory distress, especially in infants, who are obligatory nose breathers
• clear, bilateral drainage - allergic rhinitis
• clear, unilateral drainage - may be spinal fluid as a result of head trauma or fracture
• Clear, mucoid drainage - viral rhinits
• Yellow or green drainage - upper respiratory infection
• Bloody drainage - trauma, hypertension, bleeding disorders
• enlarged, boggy terminates - allergic disorder
• bright red mucosa - inflammation from rhinitis or sinusitis
• pale or gray - color when turbinates have allergic rhinitis
• copious or colored discharge - allergic or infectious disorder, epistaxis, head or nose trauma
• clustered vesicles - herpes infection
• ulcers or perforations - chronic infection, trauma, or cocaine use
• dried crusted blood - previous epistaxis