I have a sinus infection and there is so much snot! Where does it all come from? (aussie.zone)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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EDIT: for clarification: There is only so much space between the front of my head and my brain. How does so much snot fit in there? Is it generated continuously so that there is always more available? Does it come from the lungs, and if so, what is the process of transport to my nose?

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[-] Tehhund@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinusitis - see the illustration from that article.

I've never found a diagram that gives a great idea of how the sinuses work, but between the various sinuses in your head there's a surprising amount of space. So all that space for holding mucus + constantly making more = a surprisingly large amount of mucus.

Also, since mucus is gross I think we overestimate the actual volume because even a few mLs seems like a lot. If you started blowing your nose into a measuring cup it would take longer than you think to fill it up. Please conduct this experiment and report back with pictures.

[-] sem 1 points 2 days ago

One thing it took me SO LONG to figure out is us normies call the whole thing "sinuses" but to the science hippies, the sinuses and the nasal cavity are different things. All of which can be clogged with mucus that regenerates.

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this post was submitted on 27 May 2025

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