Catarrh is a disease of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages and those cavities of the head communicating with them. Insignifiacnt as it appears in its first stages, it is apt in its progress to become instrumental in causing the loss or impairment of smell, taste, hearing and sight, and of creating serious constitutional derangements, not unfrequently terminating in consumption.
A feeling of irritation, sensitiveness, heat or pain is experienced in the nose, the edges of which are red and swollen, and which is stopped up sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other, and occasionally on both, rendering respiration through it either difficult or impossible. The irritation in the nose produces a frequent desire to sneeze, and is accompanied with a discharge of either clear aerid water, or what is far oftener the case, a profuse, thick, yellowish and extremely offensive matter, which forms one of the most characteristic features of the disease, and is a source of the greatest annoyance and danger. As the disease progresses, this secretion becomes purulent, increases in quantity, and assumes an exceedingly fetid odor. It escapes not only by the nose, but passes into the throat, producing irritation there, and requiring frequent expectoration, hawking or scraping for its removal. As its passage into the throat is very much facilitated by a horizontal position of the body, sleep is frequently disturbed by a sensation of choking in consequence, and many are obliged to lie in a semi-recumbent position to obtain the necessary sleep.
Owing to the heat in the head the watery portion of the discharge often evaporates, and assuming a condition of solidity, is deposited upon the membrane of the nose and upper part of the throat, in the shape of crusts or hardened lumps. The accumulation of these incrustations produces a feeling of discomfort, and narrows the nasal passages so as to embarrass respiration. Therefore, frequent efforts have to be made to remove them, either by forcibly blowing the nose, or by persistent hawking -- a practice as disagreeable to the one affected as it is to those around him. After the removal, that side of the incrustation which adhered to the mucous membrane will sometimes be found bloody, a fact which explains the force required for its dislodgment. During sleep these incrustations accumulate more rapidly, and the feeling is therefore most uncomfortable in the morning. Sometimes all efforts to clear the throat are futile until after breakfast, or after some stimulant had been swallowed. Ulceration of the mucous membrane of the nose takes place frequently, sometimes attacking the bones, when small particles of that substance will occasionally be found mixed with the discharge.
The breath assumes an excessively fetid and sickening odor, and becomes occasionally so offensive as to render the patient an object of disgust to himself as well as to others.
The accumulation of the discharge, together with the thickened condition of the mucous membrane, renders respiration through the nasal passages very difficult, and oftentimes impossible, necessitating respiration principally through the mouth -- a method very deleterious to the general health, but more particularly so to the lungs, which become weak and irritable. The voice loses its musical quality, and assumes a discordant, harsh and nasal character; the sense of smell becomes much impaired or entirely lost, and the same effect, though less frequent, is produced on taste. Occasionally, while blowing the nose, a crackling or bubbling sound is heard in the ears, and hearing becomes quite thick or stopped up, but returns suddenly with something like a snapping sound. This phenomena may be repeated several times, until hearing doss not return, but remains permanently injured. In other cases hearing is lost so gradually that a considerable degree of deafness may exist before the person is really aware of the fact. Either condition is often accompanied with noises in the head of every conceivable description, materially increasing the distress of the sufferer.
The eyes are apt to become weak, irritable and disposed to water on exposure to cold and wind, or after the slightest exertion. A pain, more or less acute, or a distressing feeling of pressure, is experienced over the eyes, and sometimes on the top or back of the head, and also pain in the face, closely resembling neuralgia, for which it is very often mistaken. The distress in the head weakens the memory, and produces irritability and moroseness of disposition. The stomach generally suffers more or less, is weak and irritable; the appetite is capricious, and is nearly always bad in the morning. In severe cases the system becomes feeble and prostrated.
This is manifested by a disposition to drowsiness and sleep, an aversion to either physical or mental exertion, and a feeling of fatigue and weakness.
Not unfrequently catarrh proves fatal, either by debilitating the system and wearing out the patient, or by traveling downward, and producing throat affections, bronchitis, and finally consumption. It may be safely asserted that, after hereditary predisposition, catarrh is the most frequent and important cause of this fatal complaint.