Nose, Mouth and Throat Assessment Flashcards
Nose
warms, moistens and filters inhaled air
sensory organ for smell
Parts of the nose
septum, turbinates and paranasal sinuses
septum
divides nasal cavity
turbinates
bony projections within the nasal cavity
paranasal sinuses
air filled pockets within the cranium
Types of paranasal sinuses
frontal sinus
maxillary sinus
ethmoid sinus
sphenoid
frontal sinus
frontal bone above and medial to the orbits
maxillary sinus
maxilla (cheekbone) along the side walls of the nasal cavity
ethmoid sinus
between orbits
sphenoid
deep within the skull
Mouth
first part of the digestive system, airway for respiratory system
Oral Cavity
short passage bordered by the lips, palate, cheeks and tongue
contains teeth, gums, tongue and salivary glands
Hard Palate
bone, close to front teeth, white color
Soft Palate
arch of muscle, pink color
Uvula
free projection hanging down from middle of the soft palate
Tongue
mass of striated muscle
Frenulum
midline fold of tissue that connects the tongue tot he floor of the mouth
Salivary Glands
parotid, submandibular and sublingual
Parotid glands
within the cheeks in front of the ear extending from the zygomatic arch down to the angle of the jaw
Submandibular glands
beneath the mandible at the angle of the jaw (size of walnut)
Sublingual glands
lies within the floor of the mouth under the tongue
Salivary glands function to
secrete saliva, starts digestion and cleans and protects the mucosa.
Throat (oropharynx)
behind the mouth and nose
oropharynx, tonsils and nasopharynx
Oropharynx
separated from mouth by a fold of tissue on each side of the anterior tonsillar pillar
Tonsils
mass of lymphoid tissue
Nasopharynx
above the oropharynx and behind the nasal cavity; adenoids and eustachian tube openings are within the nasopharynx
Transcultural Considerations
bifid uvula and cleft lip/palate
bifid uvula
split uvula - approx 2% of general population
cleft lip/palate
about 1:600 births
History (Subjective): Nose
- Nasal d/c
- Frequent URI, or cold sx
- Sinus pain/tenderness/pressure; hx of sinusitis
- Trauma
- Epistaxis
- Allergies
- Altered smell/change in sense of smell
History (Subjective): Mouth and Throat
- Mouth sores or lesions, canker sores
- Sore throat
- Bleeding gums
- Toothaches, tooth sensitivity (i.e. hot, cold, sweets)
- Hoarseness or voice changes
- Dysphagia/ difficulty swallowing
- Altered or change in taste
- Hx smoking, alcohol consumption - frequency, amount.
- Self-care behaviors - last dental exam, dentures, etc.
- Medications
Physical Exam/Assessment (Objective)
A. Inspect and palpate external nose
B. Inspect nasal cavity and Inspect turbinates
C. Palpate Sinuses (frontal and maxillary)
D. Inspect Mouth
E. Inspect Throat
F. Breath odor/halitosis
Inspect and palpate external nose
note symmetry, septum midline and proportion
Inspect Nasal Cavity
note color, texture/surface, d/c, swelling, bleeding, etc.
Inspect Turbinates
note color and texture
Inspect mouth
- Lip color, moisture, cracking or lesions
- Teeth - note #, caries, bite, loose teeth or abnormally positioned teeth
- Gums - color, bleeding, gum margins
- Tongue - color, surface characteristics and moisture. Floor of mouth or under tongue - note white patches, nodules or ulcerations
- Buccal mucosa - color, nodules, lesions (Stensen’s Duct - opening of the parotid salivary gland)
- Inspect palate and uvula
Inspect Throat
note tonsils, color, size, grade tonsils
Grade tonsils
1+ visible, 2+ halfway between tonsillar pillars and uvula, 3+ touching uvula, 4+ tonsils touching each other
