face

The human face is able to use facial expressions to illustrate what is made possible with the multitude of muscles in the face. Due to the diverse properties and the many sensitive parts that the face contains, different forms of disease can occur. The medical aspects of the face are set out below.

What is the face

As face is to be understood that part of the head where the senses for the perception of the external world are gathered. Only feeling is active outside of the face. In addition, the many facial muscles and the mandibular joint enable the need to communicate in the form of facial expressions and the pronunciation of words to be met.

The face also serves to take in food through the mouth. It quickly becomes clear that the face accommodates a multitude of functions that go far beyond those described here. In medical terminology, the face is also called "facies".

The German word refers to the main sense of the face, namely to see. But seeing can also be formed with the synonym "sight". Objects are "sighted" with the eyes on the face.

Anatomy & structure

The face covers the front of the head. It runs vertically from the lower end of the forehead, i.e. from the base of the eyebrows, to the chin; horizontally from one ear to the other. In terms of structure, it mainly consists of two horizontally paired eyes and ears, a nose and a mouth.

If the halves of the face were to be separated vertically, there would be no absolute symmetry in any person, as the eyes are positioned differently due to the different degrees of the cheekbones bulge in each half of the face. Due to the differences in curvature alone, there is a strong difference in the shape of the two halves of the face. The nose is elongated vertically and ends from the lower side usually at the level of the earlobes.

The mouth in turn runs horizontally in width and consists of a pair of lips on the outside and an oral cavity on the inside, in which the tongue is located in the center and a row of teeth above and below. The lower half of the mouth is made mobile by the mandibular joint, which is necessary for processing food and for speaking.

Functions & tasks

By locating it on the head that is face very close to the brain, which is necessary since the tasks of the important senses have to be dealt with quickly, d. H. a short way is needed to transfer the sensory stimuli to the brain.

The face primarily fulfills the functions of the senses, i.e. seeing, hearing, smelling and tasting. Feeling is not specifically mentioned here because it is functional throughout the body. The parallelism of the two eyes enables three-dimensional vision; the same applies to the ears and hearing. The position of the nose between both eyes and the cheekbones has no special function. Rather, it is the result of evolution, because in most other mammals the nose makes up the majority of the face and is considered to be the most important sense.

In humans it regressed, since seeing and hearing have come to the fore. The sense of smell has become less meaningful. The oral cavity is mainly used for the intake and processing of food. In connection with this function, the sense of taste becomes active. The tongue can be used to enjoy food or to check whether it is edible. The function of the front and fangs is to bite off pieces of food that are chewed up with the molars.

The face is rich in fine muscles so that facial expressions can be formed that can express a person's current state of mind as well as short-term affects. In addition, the face is the most distinctive feature of a person.

Illnesses & ailments

As versatile as the functions of the Face are, the range of disease possibilities is so diverse. That is why only the most important diseases and complaints are described here. The facial muscles can be paralyzed by the dysfunction of a cranial nerve.

This often manifests itself in the fact that mimetic processes are restricted or become completely inoperable. There can also be problems closing the mouth. In addition, various skin diseases are evident on the face.

As part of the face, the eyes can also be affected by diseases or functional impairments; for example in the form of nearsightedness or farsightedness and astigmatism. Bad cases are covered by cataracts, which can lead to blindness. The ears can be restricted in their function by a sudden hearing loss or tinnitus, with the former leading to hearing loss and the latter resulting in a permanently audible beeping.

There is also inflammation of the middle or ear canal that can strain the ears. The nasal mucous membranes can be attacked by polyps, which make breathing difficult and can only be removed surgically. Herpes can form on the lips of the mouth, drawing moisture out of them and making them dry. There are also various dental diseases such as tooth decay and periodontal disease.