ASSESSING MOUTH, THROAT, NOSE AND SINUSES Flashcards
is formed by the lips, cheeks, hard and
soft palates, uvula, and the tongue and its muscles.
Mouth or oral cavity
The roof of the oral cavity is formed by the _ and _
anterior hard palate and the posterior soft palate.
An extension of the soft palate is the __, which hangs in the posterior midline of the oropharynx.
uvula
(jaw bone) provides the structural support for
the floor of the mouth.
The mandible
The___ are covered by mucous membrane
and normally hold 32 permanent teeth in the adult.
gums (gingiva)
helps break down and lubricates food.
Saliva
digests carbohydrates.
Amylase
located in the lower jaw, open under the
tongue on either side of the frenulum
through openings called Wharton’s
ducts.
Submandibular glands
located under the tongue, open through
several ducts located on the floor of the
mouth.
Sublingual glands
below the nasopharynx
Oropharynx
located below and in front of the ears,
empty through Stensen’s ducts, which
are located inside the cheek across from
the second upper molar
Parotid glands
located behind the mouth and nose,
serves as a muscular passage for food and air.
The throat (pharynx),
The upper part of the throat
Nasopharynx
below the oropharynx
Laryngopharynx
The ___ lie at the base of the tongue.
lingual tonsils
Masses of lymphoid tissue referred to as the
palatine
tonsils.
The lingual tonsils lie at the ___ of the tongue.
base
are found high in the
nasopharynx. Because tonsils are masses of lymphoid
tissue, they help protect against infection.
Pharyngeal tonsils or adenoids
The external nose consists of a
bridge (upper portion),
tip,
and two oval openings called nares.
external nose, two oval openings called
nares
located between the roof of the mouth and the
cranium
o it extends from the anterior nares (nostrils) to the
posterior nares, which open into the nasopharynx.
Nasal Cavity
o separates the cavity into two halves
- Nasal Septum
- Nasal Septum
the front of the nasal septum contains a rich supply
of blood vessels and is known as
Kiesselbach’s
area
- Nasal Septum
▪ This is a common site for nasal bleeding
Kiesselbach’s
area
the superior, middle, and inferior turbinates are
bony lobes
o project from the lateral walls of the nasal cavity.
o These 3 turbinates increase the surface area that
is exposed to incoming air
o As the person inspires air, nasal hairs (vibrissae)
filter large particles from the air.
Conchae
underlies each turbinate and receives drainage
from the paranasal sinuses and the nasolacrimal
duct
Meatus
Four pairs of paranasal sinuses in the skull:
Frontal sinuses (above the eyes)\
o Maxillary sinuses (in the upper jaw) are
accessible to examination by the nurse.
o Ethmoidal and sphenoidal sinuses
are smaller,
located deeper in the skull, and are not accessible
for examination.
Scaling painful fissures at corner of lips
Cheilosis of lips
Clear vesicles surrounded by red indurated base
- Herpes simplex type I
Round, indurated lesion becomes crusted and
ulcerated with elevated border
Carcinoma of lip
Thick raised patch does not scrape off: seen in
heavy tobacco or alcohol use
Leukoplakia (ventral surface)
Curdlike patches easily scrape off; leaving a
reddened area
Candida albicans infection (thrush)
Smooth, reddish, shiny tongue without papillae due to
vitamin B12 deficiency
1+ Tonsils are
visible
Round indurated lesion becomes crusty and
ulcerated with elevated border
Carcinoma of tongue
Enlarge tongue
o Hypothyroidism, acromegaly, or down syndrome,
and angioneurotic edema of anaphylaxis
Macroglossia
2+ Tonsils are
midway between tonsillar pillars
and uvula
3+ Tonsils touch
the uvula
4+ Tonsils touch
each other.
