The human nose, including the nasal passages and sinuses, can be affected by a wide variety of diseases and disorders, which are generally categorized as infectious, inflammatory/allergic, structural, or cancerous.
🦠 Infectious and Inflammatory Conditions
These are the most common disorders and often involve the surrounding sinus cavities (rhinosinusitis).
Common Cold (Acute Viral Rhinitis): A viral infection causing inflammation of the nasal lining, leading to runny nose (rhinorrhea), congestion, and sneezing.
Sinusitis: Inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the paranasal sinuses.
Acute Sinusitis: Usually follows a cold and is caused by viruses or bacteria.
Chronic Sinusitis: Inflammation lasting 12 weeks or longer, often due to persistent infection, allergies, or nasal obstruction.
Allergic Rhinitis (Hay Fever): An allergic reaction to airborne particles (pollen, dust mites, pet dander).
It causes persistent sneezing, itching, watery eyes, and clear nasal discharge. Nasal Polyps: Soft, painless, non-cancerous growths on the lining of the nasal passages or sinuses, often linked to chronic inflammation or asthma.
They can block airflow and reduce the sense of smell. Epistaxis (Nosebleeds): Usually caused by trauma, dryness, or hypertension, resulting from broken blood vessels in the nasal septum.
🏗️ Structural and Mechanical Issues
These conditions affect the physical architecture of the nose, often leading to breathing difficulties.
Deviated Nasal Septum: A shift of the wall of cartilage and bone (septum) that divides the nasal cavity in half.
A severe deviation can obstruct one or both nostrils, making breathing difficult and contributing to snoring or sleep apnea. Turbinate Hypertrophy: Enlargement of the turbinates (conchae), the structures inside the nose that regulate airflow.
This is often caused by chronic allergies or inflammation and can lead to significant nasal blockage. Nasal Valve Collapse: Weakness or narrowing of the nasal valve area (the narrowest part of the nasal airway), causing the nostril to collapse inward during inhalation.
👃 Olfactory and Sensory Disorders
These conditions affect the sense of smell and the sensory experience of the nose.
Anosmia: The complete inability to smell.
It can be temporary (due to a cold or infection) or permanent (due to nerve damage, head trauma, or chronic sinusitis). Hyposmia: A reduced ability to smell.
Phantosmia: Smelling an odor that is not actually present (olfactory hallucination), often due to neurological issues.
malignancy and Rare Conditions
Though less common, tumors can also affect the nasal and sinus areas.
Nasal and Sinus Cancer: Malignant tumors that form in the tissues of the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses.
These are rare but often present as persistent blockage, chronic sinusitis-like symptoms, or nosebleeds. Inverted Papilloma: A non-cancerous (benign) tumor that can grow inward from the nasal lining. While benign, it is destructive and has a high rate of recurrence and a small potential to become cancerous.
Another disored is small nostrils; this also makes it difficult to breathe and can be a cause of snoring. It is also a sign of cancer so see you docter straight away before its to late.
Diagram of the human Nose.
