Shabina Akhtar explains: Sinuses are hollow spaces within the facial bones. Delicate membranes called mucous membranes line the sinuses. They are termed as paranasal sinuses as most of them are clustered around the nasal region. The primary function of the sinuses is to humidify the air passing through the nasal cavity apart from adding on to the sense of smell. They also affect the sound quality of our voice.

Dr Santanu Banerjee, consultant ENT specialist, Woodlands Nursing Home, says, “These cavities act as a resonating box for our voice. The sound produced by the pharynx travels through the sinuses, rebounds back with a prolonged and distinct nasal tone.”

Singers use these cavities to add a resonating tone to their voices. When one catches a cold, then the viruses often infect the sinuses, causing sinusitis (inflammation of the sinus), Dr Banerjee says.

These germs initiate chemical reactions in the epithelial cells of the mucous membrane. This leads to excessive secretion of mucous, which fills up the sinus cavities. “Sinusitis causes nasal obstruction, which dampens the resonance of sound, as the congestion obstructs the path of the sound via the sinuses, thereby inhibiting them from acting as resonators. This makes the sound unrecognisably heavy and hoarse,” he adds.

The question was sent by Debashis Roy from Bokaro Steel City.