Problems involving the nose can occur in people of all ages. Some conditions are more common in children, while others occur more frequently in adults. Be aware that the same condition can have different symptoms depending on the age of the affected person.
What is your prediagnosis?
Prediagnosis
Congenital abnormalities
Infections
Tumours
Vascular problems
Degenerative conditions involving the:
– nasal septum
– nasal bone
– turbinates
– nasal meatus
– choanae
– sinus complex
Obstruction of the:
– nasal meatus
– choanae
– sinus complex
Trauma to the:
– nasal septum
– nasal bone
– turbinates
– nasal meatus
– choanae
– sinus complex
– middle ear
– inner ear
Allergy
If your patient is a toddler, a young child or even an infant, the following questions are important:
- What is the precise nature of the complaint?
- How old is the child?
- Does the child attend a nursery, playgroup or primary school?
- Did the symptoms start shortly after the child first attended this place?
- Does the child have older brothers or sisters who attend a playgroup or school?
- Does the child spend time at a caretaker who has children of school-going age?
- Approximately how much time is there between two successive nasal colds?
- Does the child have a fever when it has a cold and/or does it appear unwell?
- Does the child complain of earache when it has a cold?
- In an infant: is the child still able to drink properly from the breast or the bottle.
- Does the child sleep with the mouth open or is the breathing audible when they is lie in bed?
- Does the child drool a lot?
- Is the parent sometimes under the impression that the child hears less well
- Is the runny nose linked to a season or a place?
- Does the parent notice that changes in temperature, strong scents such as the smell of baking, polishing wax etc. cause sneezing fits or a blocked nose?
- Does the child also suffer from (tickly) coughing fits, are they short of breath or is their breathing wheezy?
To a (young) adult patient the following questions should be asked:
- What is the precise nature of the complaint?
- How frequently do the upper airway infections occur?
- Does it involve only a runny nose or is the nose blocked as well, and if so, on which side?
- Is the nasal mucus watery or purulent?
- Is the sensation of a blocked nose only present when the patient has a cold or when they do not have a cold as well?
- Does the patient sleep with their mouth open?
- Does the patient snore?
- Is there regularly a presence of pressing pain above the eyes and/or in the upper jaw?
- Does the patient sometimes notice an unpleasant smell in their nose, without this coming from an external source?
- Has the patient had these complaints before?
- Has the patient ever suffered trauma to the nose in the past?
- Are the symptoms linked to a season or a place?
- Do strong scents such as the smell of baking, polishing wax etc. cause sneezing fits or a blocked nose?
- Does the patient also suffer from a tickly cough or do they have asthma or hay fever?
When dealing with a trauma, the following questions should be asked:
- How long ago did the trauma take place?
- What was the nature of the force that acted on the nose and how hard was it?
- How long after the trauma did the swelling (if any) of the nose occur?
- Did the patient have a nose bleed directly following the trauma?
- Did the patient hear something snap or crack at the time of trauma?
- Has the patient noticed a change in the position of their nose?