What Is a Nasal Concha?

The anatomical structure of the outer wall of the nasal cavity has three turbinates, which are called upper, middle and lower nasal passages. The upper and middle turbinates are part of the inner wall of the ethmoid bone. The inferior turbinate is a separate bony structure that is laterally connected to the maxilla. The nasal passage between the turbinates is the opening of some important sinuses. The maxillary sinus is in the maxillary body and the opening is in the middle nasal passage. The lowest point of the sinus is lower than the opening.

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Turbinates are compensated for pathological hypertrophy under the stimulation of chronic inflammation and produce clinical symptoms, especially the following turbinates. The inferior turbinate is divided into the lateral mucosa layer, the lower turbinate bone, and the medial mucosa layer, and the thickness of each layer increases in order. The turbinate mucous membrane can

The main function

The main functions of the lower turbinate are: maintaining nasal resistance on both sides, regulating air flow, and maintaining normal breathing; adjusting the temperature, humidity, filtration and cleaning of the inhaled air to meet the physiological requirements of the lower respiratory tract.

Nasal cycle

Nasal cycle: The blood vessels and connective tissue in the inferior turbinate mucosa form erectile tissue, which alternately contract and expand, causing the size of the turbinate to change alternately, which is rotated about every 2-7 hours. The inferior turbinate regulates the inhaled air flow through the nasal cycle, which keeps the nasal resistance on both sides basically unchanged, and has no obvious effect on normal breathing. Although the nasal cycle is a normal physiological phenomenon, it may also cause symptoms of nasal obstruction under conditions such as vasodilation and inflammatory edema.

Nasal valve area

Nasal valve area (nasal valve): is the area that affects ventilation in the nasal cavity, mainly including: outer valve area, inner valve area, nasal septum, and inferior turbinate. The inner valve area surrounded by the corresponding part of the front end of the lower turbinate and the nasal septum, the maxillary nasal condyle, and the lateral cartilage of the nose has a circular contraction function and is the softest and narrowest part of the nasal airway. It provides about 50% of nasal resistance. Hypertrophy of the inferior turbinate can lead to nasal valve collapse and increased nasal resistance during inhalation. Small changes in the inferior turbinate volume can cause significant changes in nasal resistance.

Air dynamics

Airflow dynamics: When inhaling, the lower turbinate guides most of the airflow into the middle nasal tract for heating and humidification; when exhaling, the airflow passes through the lower nasal tract and forms a barrier in the valve area of the nasal valve, forming a gas regulation with the lower turbinate Device to direct airflow into the middle nasal passage. A too wide or too narrow nasal cavity will destroy the delicate balance of the airflow barrier, causing the air to fail to make full contact with the nasal mucosa, resulting in symptoms of nasal obstruction. This is that some patients have a very wide nasal cavity after surgery, but they still complain of nasal obstruction.