Assessing Nose and Sinuses

Anatomy of the Nose

• External
Structures
– Bridge
– Tip
– Nostrils
– Vestibule
 Anatomy of the Nose
• Internal
Structures
– Mucous
Membranes
– Hard Palate, Soft
Palate
– Turbinates
Septum
– Posterior Pharynx
– Opening of
Eustachian Tube
 Nose and Sinuses
• Functions:
– Identification of Odors
– Air Passage
– Humidification, Warming, and Filtering
Air
– Resonance of Speech
– Drainage of Sinuses
 Assessing the Nose and
Sinuses
• Inquire if the client has any history of
the following:
• Allergies
• Difficulty of breathing through the nose
• Sinus infections
• Injuries to nose or face
• Nosebleeds
• Medications taken
• Changes in the sense of smell
Assessing the nose
• Inspect the
external nose
for any
deviations in
shape, size, or
color and
flaring or
discharge from
the nares
• Lightly palpate
the external
 Assessing the nose
• Determine the
patency of both
nasal cavities

Air moves freely as the

client breathes through the
nares
 Assessing the Nose
• Inspect the nasal
cavities using a
flashlight or a
nasal speculum

 Observe for the

presence of redness,
swelling, growths and
discharge
 Assessing the Nose

• Inspect the
nasal septum
between the
nasal
chambers
 Assessing Facial Sinuses

Sinuses:
• Frontal
• Ethmoid
•Sphenoid
• Maxillary
 Assessing Facial Sinuses
• Palpate the maxillary
and frontal sinuses for
tenderness

Assessing the Maxillary

Sinuses

Assessing Frontal Sinuses

 Lifespan Considerations
• Infants:
• A speculum is usually not necessary to examine the
septum, turbinates, and septum
 Children
• A speculum is not necessary, it might cause the child to
be apprehensive
• Cough and runny nose are the most common signs of
sinusitis in preadolescent children
 Elders
• The sense of smell Markedly diminishes
• Nosebleeds may result from hypertensive diseases or
other arterial vessel changes