Personal hygiene and physical training for women

by Anna M. Galbraith

The nose performs four important functions—it serves as a passageway for the air in breathing, and it warms, moistens, and filters the inspired air; it is the organ of smell; it aids in phonation; and it affords ventilation to the ears and accessory sinuses. But by far its most important function is the rôle which the nose plays in respiration. To supply the large amount of water necessary to moisten the inspired air, it has been calculated that about one pint of water must be secreted by the nose daily; part of this amount of moisture is furnished by the tears. Mouth-breathing always causes dryness of the throat.

The filtration of the air is accomplished first through the action of the hairs at the external margin of the nose, which hinder the entrance of large particles, and, second, by the adherence of small particles to the moist surface of the intricate passages of the nose and nasopharynx. The microbes are expelled with the dust; in addition to this, the nose probably has the power of destroying any bacteria through the action of its germicidal mucus.

Obstruction of the Nasal Passages.—In adults the commonest modes of obstruction are the bending of the nasal septum to one side, or by a thickening of the septum by which one nostril may be completely closed up. The occlusion may also be due to the swelling of the mucous membrane or the presence of polypi.

In children the most common form of obstruction of the nose is by the adenoids and the enlargement of the tonsils; this enlargement may be so great as to prevent nasal breathing and interfere with the normal ventilation of the ears.

The Throat or Pharynx.—The throat or pharynx is the upper and funnel-like portion of the alimentary canal, which is seen at the back part of the mouth. It extends up back of the nose. The cavity of the throat is somewhat separated from that of the mouth by the soft palate. This is a membranous curtain, which is attached to the posterior part of the hard palate. The pendulous part of the soft palate is known as the uvula. The uvula sometimes becomes so greatly relaxed that it rests on the base of the tongue, which causes a constant irritation and slight cough, a condition which is easily relieved by a few astringent applications.

On looking into a mirror there will be seen, on either side of the throat, two arches, formed by folds of mucous membrane; these are known as the pillars of the throat. Between these pillars, on either side, is an almond-shaped body called the tonsil. In health the tonsil should not protrude beyond the anterior pillar.

Causes of Diseases of the Nose and Throat.—Exposure to wet and cold, when insufficiently clad, or, even worse, sitting still with damp skirts or shoes on. A still more potent factor than exposure to cold is the relative degree of humidity of the atmosphere; great humidity is frequently accompanied by epidemics of influenza. Exposure to very high winds; sudden changes of temperature; the very dry air and the overheating of houses; insufficient covering at night; the inhalation of irritating vapors and finely divided mechanical irritants. Also, gastro-intestinal affections and uric acid.

Chronic enlargement of the tonsils predisposes to tonsillitis and to all the infective and contagious throat diseases. In addition, the breath is apt to be fetid, and swallowing the mucus, germs, and toxins has a deleterious effect on the stomach and general health. Mouth-breathing and anemia often follow, and there is an increased liability to inflammation of the eyes.

The Importance of a Healthy Condition of the Throat and Nose.—The nose and throat are the portals of entrance to the bronchial tubes and lungs, and it depends on the condition of their mucous membranes whether the germs of disease will find lodgment here and be carried down into the bronchial tubes and lungs, or whether they will be expelled with the mucus.

Any irritant which destroys the vitality of the epithelium covering the mucosa, or a local congestion which interferes with the nutrition, circulation, and secretions of the part, offers favorable conditions for the culture of bacteria normally present. Also, anything which will cause a lowering of the general health, and thereby lessen tissue resistance, acts as a predisposing cause to local inflammation, while the germs themselves excite inflammation by their active growth in loco.