A woman who is 8 months pregnant comments that she has noticed a change in posture and is having lower back pain.
The nurse tells her that during pregnancy women have a posture shift to compensate for the enlarging fetus. This shift in posture is known as:

Choice A rationale

Pain sensation behind the eyes, particularly during palpation of the frontal or ethmoid sinuses, suggests inflammation or infection within these sinuses. Under normal conditions, healthy paranasal sinuses are air-filled cavities and should not elicit pain upon palpation.

Choice B rationale

Pain during palpation of any sinus area is indicative of sinusitis or inflammation. The presence of pain signifies pressure buildup, mucosal edema, or infection within the sinus cavities. Normal findings would not involve pain, but rather a sensation of mild pressure.

Choice C rationale

Normal findings during sinus palpation should elicit a sensation of pressure but no pain or tenderness. This indicates that the sinuses are air-filled, patent, and free from inflammation or congestion. The pressure is a result of the gentle digital compression over the bony structures.

Choice D rationale

Tingling along the nose and eyes is not a typical sensation associated with normal sinus palpation. This sensation might suggest neurological irritation, such as nerve compression or neuropathy, rather than a direct physiological response from the paranasal sinuses themselves.

Choice A rationale

Lymphadenopathy refers to enlarged lymph nodes, which are palpable structures of the immune system. Bruits are vascular sounds, specifically turbulent blood flow, and are entirely unrelated to the presence or size of lymph nodes. Lymphadenopathy indicates an immune response or lymphatic system issue, whereas bruits indicate arterial pathology.

Choice B rationale

Hypermetabolic states, such as hyperthyroidism, can increase cardiac output and blood flow velocity, potentially leading to flow murmurs in the heart. However, they do not directly cause bruits in the carotid arteries. Carotid bruits are typically indicative of localized arterial narrowing or disease, not a systemic increase in metabolism.

Choice C rationale

Bruits are audible vascular sounds, often described as a "whooshing" or "swishing" sound, that result from turbulent blood flow through a narrowed or partially occluded artery. In the carotid arteries, a bruit strongly suggests atherosclerotic plaque formation, which reduces the arterial lumen and disrupts the smooth, laminar flow of blood, creating turbulence.

Choice D rationale

Bruits are arterial sounds, reflecting turbulence within arteries. Venous disease primarily involves veins, and while some venous conditions like arteriovenous fistulas can produce continuous murmurs, typical bruits heard over carotid arteries are characteristic of arterial narrowing and compromise, not venous pathology. Venous hums can occur but are distinctly different from arterial bruits.