ABSTRACT
The nose acts as the air-conditioning unit for the respiratory tract. The skeleton of the nose is made of bone and cartilage. The vestibule of the nose is the entrance to the nasal cavity. The function of the inferior turbinate is to control the passage of air through the nose via the nasal cycle. Trauma to the external nose is common and ‘fractured nose’ and ‘query fractured nose’ are common reasons for referral to the ENT department. The nasal cavities end at the posterior end of the septum as two oval spaces, sometimes referred to as the choanae. Behind this, the nasal cavities are continuous with another space called the nasopharynx or postnasal space (PNS). The PNS is clinically relevant since the eustachian tubes open into it on each side. An infected or enlarged adenoid and tumours of the PNS can interfere with eustachian tube function.
