Knowing Your Sinus Cavities Can Help Prevent Your Next Sinus Pressure Headache
Have you asked yourself: What are those eight hollow places in the facial bones and skull good for? The function of the sinus cavities Their most important task is, believe it or not, to produce mucus.
Why? To help us prevent getting sick and hence make life more enjoyable, and to help us get well when we are sick.
Thus, besides producing mucus, those hollow areas:
One of the membranes is, in turn, lined with tiny hairs called cilia.
They are single cell organelles with projections which look like hair under the microscope.
Beating rhythmically in one direction at the rate of 16 times per second, the cilia act like oars pushing the mucus and other matter from the sinuses toward the nose cavity, and from there to the back of the throat and eventually the stomach where it is disposed of.
Anything that disturbs or paralyzes the cilia rhythmic beating will cause discomfort.
For example, a runny nose in winter-extreme cold paralyzes the cilia rhythmic beating and the mucus is sent by gravity down the nose cavity and outside.
Caring for the cilia Some authorities go as far as saying that most sinus problems would be eliminated if the cilia were healthy and allowed to do their job properly.
In other words, we can probably prevent our next bout with sinus pressure if the cilia were working properly.
Yes, we could still have an excessive amount of mucus-for example, due to certain foods we eat, cold weather, a virus, etc.
,--but it would not accumulate and build up pressure, with all the miseries accompanying it.
But hot air or steam above a certain temperature, 102F degree, can also paralyze the cilia.
Thus steam inhalation should not be allowed to exceed that temperature level.
And certain sinus or nasal sprays contain ingredients which can operate against the cilia health also.
This is why OTC product labels should be carefully read, especially side effects.
Of course, pleasure drugs, primarily those that are sniffed, can have a very deleterious effect on the sinuses, besides general health.
Sinus health care should start with prevention, not cure, if we aspire to eradicating sinus pressure permanently.
Knowing how our sinus cavities function, as well as the important role the cilia play there, and how to keep them functioning healthily are, no doubt, two steps in the right direction.
Why? To help us prevent getting sick and hence make life more enjoyable, and to help us get well when we are sick.
Thus, besides producing mucus, those hollow areas:
- humidify and warm the air flowing through the nasal cavity
- protect the brain and eyes by acting as crumple zone when needed
- give resonance to the voice
- make the skull lighter
- insulate your skull
One of the membranes is, in turn, lined with tiny hairs called cilia.
They are single cell organelles with projections which look like hair under the microscope.
Beating rhythmically in one direction at the rate of 16 times per second, the cilia act like oars pushing the mucus and other matter from the sinuses toward the nose cavity, and from there to the back of the throat and eventually the stomach where it is disposed of.
Anything that disturbs or paralyzes the cilia rhythmic beating will cause discomfort.
For example, a runny nose in winter-extreme cold paralyzes the cilia rhythmic beating and the mucus is sent by gravity down the nose cavity and outside.
Caring for the cilia Some authorities go as far as saying that most sinus problems would be eliminated if the cilia were healthy and allowed to do their job properly.
In other words, we can probably prevent our next bout with sinus pressure if the cilia were working properly.
Yes, we could still have an excessive amount of mucus-for example, due to certain foods we eat, cold weather, a virus, etc.
,--but it would not accumulate and build up pressure, with all the miseries accompanying it.
But hot air or steam above a certain temperature, 102F degree, can also paralyze the cilia.
Thus steam inhalation should not be allowed to exceed that temperature level.
And certain sinus or nasal sprays contain ingredients which can operate against the cilia health also.
This is why OTC product labels should be carefully read, especially side effects.
Of course, pleasure drugs, primarily those that are sniffed, can have a very deleterious effect on the sinuses, besides general health.
Sinus health care should start with prevention, not cure, if we aspire to eradicating sinus pressure permanently.
Knowing how our sinus cavities function, as well as the important role the cilia play there, and how to keep them functioning healthily are, no doubt, two steps in the right direction.
Source...