Question

Your patient was flying back home from Cuba when she developed a nose bleed and headache right behind the eyes. A physician ascertained that her previous head cold had left the patient with sinusitis. The root word "sinus" pertains to which of the following?

Answer 1

The root word 'sinus' refers to the paranasal sinuses, which are air-filled spaces in the skull that lighten its weight, humidify air, resonate voice, and produce mucus.

Step-by-step explanation:

The root word 'sinus' pertains to the paranasal sinuses, which are hollow, air-filled spaces within the skull bones.

These spaces serve several purposes: they reduce the weight of the skull, warm and humidify incoming air, help with voice resonance, and produce mucus.

The four main paranasal sinuses are named after the bones in which they are located: the frontal sinus (within the frontal bone), the maxillary sinus (within the maxillary bone), the sphenoidal sinus (within the sphenoid bone), and the ethmoidal sinus (within the ethmoid bone).

In the context of sinusitis, the mucosa lining the sinuses can become swollen due to excess mucus production and inflammation, which can cause symptoms such as nasal congestion, headaches, and pain behind the eyes.

Sinusitis can develop after a viral infection like a common cold, leading to secondary infections where bacteria can take advantage and cause further inflammation and symptoms.