Catarrh is a thick
exudateAn exudate is any fluid that filters from the circulatory system into lesions or areas of inflammation. It can apply to plants as well as animals. Its composition varies but generally includes water and the dissolved solutes of the main circulatory fluid such as sap or blood...
of
mucusIn vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is a viscous colloid containing antiseptic enzymes and immunoglobulins that serves to protect epithelial cells in the respiratory,...
and
white blood cellsGranulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterised by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm. They are also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes because of the varying shapes of the nucleus, which is usually lobed into three segments...
caused by the swelling of the
mucous membraneThe mucous membranes are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line various body cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs. It is at several places continuous with skin: at the nostrils, the...
s in the
headIn anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth...
in response to an infection. It is a
symptomA symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality...
usually associated with the
common coldAcute viral rhinopharyngitis, or acute coryza, known as an upper respiratory virus, or commonly called a cold, is a contagious, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, primarily caused by rhinoviruses, or coronaviruses...
and chesty
coughA cough , in medicine, is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defense reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from excess secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes...
s, but can also be found in patients with infections of the
adenoidAdenoids are a mass of lymphoid tissue situated at the very back of the nose, in the roof of the nasopharynx, where the nose blends into the mouth....
s,
middle earOtitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, or middle ear infection.Otitis media occurs in the area between the ear drum and the inner ear, including a duct known as the eustachian tube. It is one of the two categories of ear inflammation that can underlie what is commonly called an earache,...
,
sinusSinusitis is a condition consisting of infection or inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may or may not be as a result of infection, from bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic or autoimmune issues...
or tonsils. The catarrh may either discharge or cause a blockage which may become chronic.
Catarrh is a thick
exudateAn exudate is any fluid that filters from the circulatory system into lesions or areas of inflammation. It can apply to plants as well as animals. Its composition varies but generally includes water and the dissolved solutes of the main circulatory fluid such as sap or blood...
of
mucusIn vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is a viscous colloid containing antiseptic enzymes and immunoglobulins that serves to protect epithelial cells in the respiratory,...
and
white blood cellsGranulocytes are a category of white blood cells characterised by the presence of granules in their cytoplasm. They are also called polymorphonuclear leukocytes because of the varying shapes of the nucleus, which is usually lobed into three segments...
caused by the swelling of the
mucous membraneThe mucous membranes are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line various body cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs. It is at several places continuous with skin: at the nostrils, the...
s in the
headIn anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth...
in response to an infection. It is a
symptomA symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality...
usually associated with the
common coldAcute viral rhinopharyngitis, or acute coryza, known as an upper respiratory virus, or commonly called a cold, is a contagious, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, primarily caused by rhinoviruses, or coronaviruses...
and chesty
coughA cough , in medicine, is a sudden and often repetitively occurring defense reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from excess secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes...
s, but can also be found in patients with infections of the
adenoidAdenoids are a mass of lymphoid tissue situated at the very back of the nose, in the roof of the nasopharynx, where the nose blends into the mouth....
s,
middle earOtitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, or middle ear infection.Otitis media occurs in the area between the ear drum and the inner ear, including a duct known as the eustachian tube. It is one of the two categories of ear inflammation that can underlie what is commonly called an earache,...
,
sinusSinusitis is a condition consisting of infection or inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may or may not be as a result of infection, from bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic or autoimmune issues...
or tonsils. The catarrh may either discharge or cause a blockage which may become chronic.
Problems caused by catarrh
A catarrh blockage may result in discomfort with (and what is known as ear fear of):
- elevators
- airplanes
- traveling at elevation
- baths such as swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed body of water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest and deepest is the Olympic size...
s, jumping bathsBathing is the immersion of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practiced for hygiene, religious or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....
and other activities associated with a change in pressure.
Even the shallow end of a swimming
bathBathing is the immersion of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practiced for hygiene, religious or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....
can be troublesome;
barotraumaBarotrauma is physical damage to body tissues caused by a difference in pressure between an air space inside or beside the body and the surrounding fluid....
-- a problem linked to head pressure changes which is affected by catarrh blockages -- can occur in as little as of water depth.
Etymology
The word "catarrh" comes from the Greek "katarrhein":
kata- meaning "down" and
rhein meaning "to flow."
External references