Sinus Cavities

The health of your sinus cavities can determine whether you will be a victim of chronic sinus infection in your later years.

The anatomy of the human body is absolutely fascinating, being packed full of spaces that most people do not even know about. Take sinus cavities for example. Unless you have had problems with them then you probably know little about them.

Everyone has four pairs of sinus cavities in the head, with two pairs being present from birth and the other two developing as we grow, but just how much do you know about them? And what could the information do for you if you do tend to suffer from sinus infections? Well, the more you know about the sinuses, the better equipped you will be to treat infections when they do rear their ugly heads.

What are Sinus Cavities?

Before you find out anything else, though, you need to know exactly what sinus cavities are and where they are located. They are actually spaces in the head that lie between the bones and are completely empty in the traditional sense of the word. Air simply sits there but there should be nothing else to be found within the sinuses. If there is then that is when you will begin to suffer with pain and discomfort in the area.

As you may have guessed if you have suffered from sinusitis in the past, the sinuses are connected to the nose and enable not only air to flow in through it but also allows mucus to be drained out of it. If air cannot circulate to keep the cavities moist or mucus stops draining out of them effectively then you may begin to experience pain and discomfort as a result of infection.

Introducing the Different Types of Sinus Cavity

There are actually four distinct pairs of sinus cavities located around the centre of the skull, each pair of which can swell, become blocked, become inflamed and cause pain as a result of infection. Each pair of sinus is located in a distinctly different place so it will depend on which pair becomes inflamed as to where your pain and discomfort is.

So what are the four different pairs of sinuses called and where are they?

• Sphenoid Sinuses – The Sphenoid sinus cavities develop in adolescence and are the deepest in terms of their location in the skull. They are technically behind the eyes but also have the Ethmoid sinuses in front of them so any inflammation or irritation can cause a lot of discomfort.

• Maxillary Sinuses – The Maxillary sinuses are in the cheekbones, one on either side of the nostrils. We are actually born with these sinuses and their location makes it easy for them to become irritated or painful. Mucous may get stuck there and bacteria has a tendency to build up in the cavities.

• Frontal Sinuses – The Frontal sinuses are in the forehead and, like the Sphenoid sinuses, develop as we get older. These appear above the eyes at about seven years old. Again, inflammation is quite common in this pair of cavities and the form of sinusitis caused is usually associated with headaches.

• Ethmoid Sinuses – Ethmoid sinuses are in place when we are born and are located just behind the bridge of the nose. As they are between the eyes, any pain can interfere with vision. If you find yourself pinching the bridge of your nose when you have sinusitis then these cavities are the ones causing the problem.

Why We Have Cavities?

Sinus cavities may initially seem like pointless gaps in the skull that cause nothing but problems for millions of people around the world. However, there are major reasons as to why we have them, including the following three reasons:

• They reduce the overall weight of the skull. You may have noticed that your head feels a little heavier than usual if your sinuses are infected, inflamed or painful and this is in no way your imagination. As air cannot circulate, the weight of your skull will increase and put pressure on your neck and back.

• They allow you to raise your voice. Think of a megaphone or a trumpet. The cone allows the sound to become magnified and gives it more resonance. Your sinuses do the same thing for you.

• The sinus cavity filters the air that we breathe in, making sure that it is moist to ensure that it is easier for the body to process. Unwanted particles are removed as well so it is like an inbuilt purification system.

As you can see, sinus cavities do have their uses so take care of them as far as possible and seek appropriate solutions for any problems that arise immediately! Learn more about chronic sinus infection. You will also be able to find a diagram of sinus cavities or a picture of sinus cavities by doing an image search online.

Bookmark this page

Digg Delicious Facebook Diigo Newsvine Slashdot Stumbleupon Technorati Twitter Reddit Livejournal