Test Your Knowledge

In some cases, problems may occur with the nose that can impact a person’s health. For example, allergies (exaggerated reactions of the immune system to certain foreign invaders that it mistakes as a threat to the body), the common cold and other disorders may lead to nasal symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, runny nose, and thick nasal discharge. This can increase the risk of health problems such as asthma (a chronic inflammation of the airway tissues) and bronchitis (an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the bronchial tubes, which connect the windpipe to the lungs) and can lead to several other problems, including:

• Reduced sense of smell
  
  
• Dry mouth as a result of excessive mouth breathing
  
  
• Bad breath
  
  
• Snoring
  
  
• Noisy breathing
  
  
• Increased ingestion of pollution and germs as a result of mouth breathing

Meanwhile, sinus problems can be related to many problems with the nose, including inflammation, infection and allergic reaction. In many cases, such problems can lead to sinusitis, a condition that occurs when the lining of the sinuses becomes inflamed. Anything that triggers swelling or keeps the cilia (tiny, hairlike projections) from moving mucus (a substance secreted by mucous membranes) can lead to sinusitis. This includes factors such as temperature shifts, changes in air pressure, overuse of decongestant nasal sprays (drugs that reduce nasal congestion by narrowing the blood vessels in the membranes lining the nose), smoking, and swimming or diving. In addition, polyps (bulging growths that develop in the lining of mucous membranes) that grow to block a sinus passage can cause sinusitis. When bacterial or viral infections cause sinusitis, the result is a sinus infection.