You have four pairs of air-filled pockets in your face called sinuses. Despite their crucial role in keeping your body healthy, you likely don’t even think about them until an issue arises, such as congestion.
Let’s give your sinuses a little praise for a job well done by looking at a few of the ways they protect you.
Acting as a Filter for Germs
Your sinuses have a mucous membrane lining that produces mucus—that sticky, slippery substance you blow out of your nose when you’re sick. Depending on your health at the time, mucous may appear clear, white, yellow or green; if it turns white, yellow or green, you’re likely fighting an infection.[1] The mucus in your sinuses keeps you healthy by trapping dirt, allergens, germs and other harmful particles. By trapping all those pesky substances, the mucus in your sinuses helps fight off infection.
Cushioning Your Brain
Your car is equipped with airbags that cushion your impact in an accident. Think of your sinuses as airbags for your face. If you’re playing frisbee in Glenmere Park, and an uncaught frisbee makes its way to your face, your sinuses absorb some of the impact to protect your face from excess trauma.
Improving Air Quality
If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you’re likely familiar with the regularly stated advice to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Not only does that type of breathing help center you in your practice, but it also improves the quality of the air you’re breathing in. Dry air can easily irritate the airways, an especially painful and problematic symptom for people with chronic lung diseases like asthma.[2] The sinuses reduce irritation by humidifying the air you breathe.
When To Seek Help for Sinus Issues
Inflammation and obstruction from allergies, sinus infections, colds or nasal polyps can keep your sinuses from doing their job to protect your health. If you notice congestion, facial pain or discolored mucus, contact Alpine Ear Nose & Throat PC to schedule a sinus exam with one of our specialists. We’ll get your sinuses back in fighting shape in no time.
[1] Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Mucus. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/mucus
[2] American Lung Association. (2016, February 15). Weather and your lungs. American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/blog/weather-and-your-lungs