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Suggest Treatment For Discomfort In The Nasal Cavity
Question: When I breathe in nasally (as in Vipasanna-like focus upon the breath meditative exercise), and attend to this inspiration, I sense something in nares/nasal cavity but am unable to define it or figure out which afferents might provide me with this information-----nasalis afferents?----- anterior ethmoidal nerve afferents----olfactory afferents to bulb-limbic system?
Brief Answer:
Nasal sensations
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Welcome to HealthcareMagic and thanks for putting up the query
The sensation in the nose is probably due to overstimulation of sensory nerves. The sensory nerves of nose can be stimulated by cold air or any smell. As in your case it happens during meditation, it is the temperature changes that is causing this sensation. This usually happens in patients with a deviated nasal septum or a hypertrophic turbinate. Please tell me do you have any nasal congestion or any seasonal allergy?
Also get a x-ray paranasal sinuses done and send me the report.
Any further questions are always welcome.
Thanks and regards
Nasal sensations
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Welcome to HealthcareMagic and thanks for putting up the query
The sensation in the nose is probably due to overstimulation of sensory nerves. The sensory nerves of nose can be stimulated by cold air or any smell. As in your case it happens during meditation, it is the temperature changes that is causing this sensation. This usually happens in patients with a deviated nasal septum or a hypertrophic turbinate. Please tell me do you have any nasal congestion or any seasonal allergy?
Also get a x-ray paranasal sinuses done and send me the report.
Any further questions are always welcome.
Thanks and regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Hello Dr. Aggarwal:
Thank you for this helpful answer. I should clarify that I am not defining my sensing (paying attention to/awareness of) air entering or leaving turbinates as overstimulation or, in any way, problematic. It's simply a conscious witnessing of in-breath and out-breath. What I am wanting to know is type and location of the sensory receptors that enable me to have this experience. I am also wondering how I can so easily distinguish nasal inhalation from exhalation. Here is what I have found so far:
The turbinates are enriched with airflow pressure and temperature-sensing nerve receptors (linked to the “trigeminal” nerve route, the fifth cranial nerve).
When I attend to in-breath and out-breath (which, as mentioned, I can easily differentiate although the sensations are from same location), presumably I am making use of/integrating sensory information from other sources (e.g. abdominal muscle spindle afferents?).
Your thoughts? Is there such a thing as an ethmoidal nerve block and would such mean I would not sense air in turbinates?
Take care,
XXXX
Thank you for this helpful answer. I should clarify that I am not defining my sensing (paying attention to/awareness of) air entering or leaving turbinates as overstimulation or, in any way, problematic. It's simply a conscious witnessing of in-breath and out-breath. What I am wanting to know is type and location of the sensory receptors that enable me to have this experience. I am also wondering how I can so easily distinguish nasal inhalation from exhalation. Here is what I have found so far:
The turbinates are enriched with airflow pressure and temperature-sensing nerve receptors (linked to the “trigeminal” nerve route, the fifth cranial nerve).
When I attend to in-breath and out-breath (which, as mentioned, I can easily differentiate although the sensations are from same location), presumably I am making use of/integrating sensory information from other sources (e.g. abdominal muscle spindle afferents?).
Your thoughts? Is there such a thing as an ethmoidal nerve block and would such mean I would not sense air in turbinates?
Take care,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
NASAL SENSATIONS
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for the follow up query
Sensations from nasal mucosa are carried by branches of various cranial nerves from different regions of nose.
The olfactory nerves transmit the special sense
of smell from the roof of nasal cavity.
Medial and lateral branches of anterior ethmoidal nerve supply the mucosa of the nasal septum
and lateral nasal wall, respectively.
The external nasal branch of the infraorbital nerve innervates the lateral part of the nose and ala.
Lateral branches of pisterior superior nasal nerves supply the mucosa of the superior and middle
nasal conchae, whereas medial branches send fibers to the nasal septum.
Branches from greater Palatine nerves supply sensation to the mucosa over the inferior nasal concha and the inferior and middle meatuses.
Block in the particular nerve will anaesthetise the region supplied by that nerve.
NASAL SENSATIONS
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for the follow up query
Sensations from nasal mucosa are carried by branches of various cranial nerves from different regions of nose.
The olfactory nerves transmit the special sense
of smell from the roof of nasal cavity.
Medial and lateral branches of anterior ethmoidal nerve supply the mucosa of the nasal septum
and lateral nasal wall, respectively.
The external nasal branch of the infraorbital nerve innervates the lateral part of the nose and ala.
Lateral branches of pisterior superior nasal nerves supply the mucosa of the superior and middle
nasal conchae, whereas medial branches send fibers to the nasal septum.
Branches from greater Palatine nerves supply sensation to the mucosa over the inferior nasal concha and the inferior and middle meatuses.
Block in the particular nerve will anaesthetise the region supplied by that nerve.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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