What are Cilia?

Cilia moves the protective mucus blanket to the back of the throat for disposal into the stomach. The stomach's digestive system can neutralize and eliminate harmful particles caught by the mucus.

The sinus and nasal cleaning action is very important to our health. It provides a good defensive mechanism against infection. Furthermore, this process prevents the mucus from accumulating in our sinus cavities and respiratory tract. If the mucus becomes stagnant or begins to accumulate, bacterial overgrowth begins to develop. When mucus begins to slow down or stops, it provides a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. This is a contributing factor to sinusitis and nasal allergy symptoms.

The Cilia

A cilium is a tiny hair-like projection. It moves the mucus and the debris that it has caught out of the respiratory tract. The mucus lays on top of the cilia. The tiny hairs are about 7 to 10 microns in length. They average about 30 to 50 on top of a single cell.

The sweeping motion of the hair-like structures go back and forth at a rate of about 6 to 20 complete beats per second. They move the mucous blanket in a predetermined direction. From the sinuses, they move the mucus through the ostia (the sinus drainage hole) and into the nose which is located near the turbinates.

From the nose, the mucus is moved to the back of the throat where it ends up in the stomach. This process of cleaning the mucus out of the sinuses and into the nose, and to the back of the throat can take around 20 to 30 minutes.

After the cilium 'hair' beats in the direction of the mucus flow, they recover in a sideway motion. The first phase is a rapid beat and they stands up straight. During the second phase, they bend in the opposite direction and in a slower motion.

This phase one and phase two action occurs so that it does not hinder the forward flow of the mucus. The tips of the cilia are barely touching the underside of the mucous layer. As a result, they can move more freely at a very rapid pace and yet still push the mucous forward.

What Affects the Cilium?

It is important to keep this system working properly for our health. Anything that stops or slows the sweeping action can cause a pooling of mucus that can lead to blockage of the sinuses. This allows the respiratory tract to become more susceptible to infection.

There are many things that can impede the rapid movement and a few are mentioned below:

• tobacco smoke
• cold temperatures
• dry air
• ice drinks
• antihistamine drugs
• growth abnormalities
• lower humidity
• the thickening of the mucous blanket
• body dehydration
• drug snorting (cocaine use)
• virus or bacteria invasion
• scarring (as is found in chronic sinusitis)
• prolong use of irritating nose sprays
• too strong or too week of a salt solution
• breathing in chemical compounds
• air pollution

Cilia and the mucous membrane that it moves to clean the body is a vital function in respiratory health. For those who have sinusitis, restoring this flow and cleansing action should be one of the first things to be addressed and try to correct.

To learn more, the encyclopedia Wikipedia has a good article on cilia.

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