Nose Medically Reviewed. Last updated on 07/29/2024. Your nose warms and filters the air you breathe. It also gives you your sense of smell. When you’re sick, you might have nasal symptoms like congestion or a runny nose. Regular nasal hygiene can keep you healthy and improve your overall well-being.
Nasal congestion occurs when blood vessels in the nasal lining swell due to inflammation, infection, allergies, or structural factors such as enlarged turbinates or a deviated nasal septum, reducing the cross-sectional area of the nasal passages and hindering airflow.
The nose is an olfactory and respiratory organ. It consists of nasal skeleton, which houses the nasal cavity. In this article, we shall look at the applied anatomy of the nasal cavity, and some of the relevant clinical syndromes.
The shape of the nose is determined by the nasal bones and the nasal cartilages, including the nasal septum, which separates the nostrils and divides the nasal cavity into two. The nose has an important function in breathing.
Inside the nose is a hollow cavity (nasal cavity), which is divided into two passages by a thin sheet of cartilage and bone called the nasal septum. The bones of the face contain the paranasal sinuses, which are hollow cavities that open into the nasal cavity (see Nose and Sinuses).
The nasal cavity includes the bones, tissues, and other structures that make up the inside of the nose. It warms and humidifies the air you breathe.
The nasal cavity is divided by a vertical partition (the “nasal septum”) into a right and left side. The nasal septum is made up of cartilage (quadrangular cartilage) towards the front of the nose, and bone towards the back.