Nose facts for kids

Close-up of a human's nose

Elephants have long noses called trunks

A nose is a super important part of your body that helps you do two main things: smell and breathe. It's like a built-in air filter and a scent detector all in one! Your nose has special parts inside that work together to pick up smells and send messages to your brain.

In humans, your nose is right in the middle of your face. But did you know that different animals have different smelling powers? For example, a dog's sense of smell is much stronger than a human's! Your nose is part of your respiratory system, which is the system that helps you breathe. It's so powerful it can even remember up to 50,000 different smells!

Why Your Nose is Important

Your nose plays a big role in keeping you healthy. It acts like a gatekeeper for the air you breathe.

• Filtering Air: As you breathe in, your nose cleans the air by trapping dust, tiny germs, and things that might irritate your lungs.
• Warming and Moistening Air: It also warms and adds moisture to the air before it reaches your lungs. This stops your lungs and the tubes leading to them from getting too dry.
• Sense of Smell: Inside your nose are special nerve cells that are responsible for your amazing sense of smell. This sense helps you enjoy food, notice dangers like smoke, and even remember things!

When your nose isn't working well, it can affect your whole body. Think about when you have a stuffy nose from a common cold – it can make it hard to breathe, sleep, or just feel comfortable.

Common Nose Problems

Many things can affect your nose besides a common cold. Here are a few examples:

• Deviated Septum: This happens when the wall inside your nose, which divides it into two halves, shifts to one side. It can sometimes make it harder to breathe through one nostril.
• Nasal Polyps: These are soft, harmless growths that can develop on the lining of your nose or sinuses. They can sometimes block your nasal passages.
• Nosebleeds: These are quite common and happen when tiny blood vessels inside your nose break.
• Rhinitis: This is when the inside of your nose and sinuses get inflamed or swollen. It's often caused by allergies, and the main symptom is usually a runny nose.
• Nasal Fractures: This is also known as a broken nose. It happens when the bones in your nose are injured, often from a fall or impact.

Images for kids

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  The nose of a tapir.

In Spanish: Nariz para niños