Tracheal Disorders—Throat Disorders

Also called: Pharyngeal disorders

Your throat is a tube that carries food to your esophagus and air to your windpipe and larynx. The technical name for your throat is the pharynx.

Throat problems are common. You’ve probably had a sore throat. The cause is usually a viral infection, but other causes include allergies, infection with strep bacteria or the leaking of stomach acids back up into the esophagus, called GERD.

Other problems that affect the throat include

Tonsillitis – inflammation of the tonsils
Cancer
Croup – inflammation, usually in small children, which causes a barking cough
Laryngitis – swelling of the voice box, which can cause a hoarse voice or loss of voice

Most throat problems are minor and go away on their own. Treatments, when needed, depend on the problem.

Blockage of upper airway (Medical Encyclopedia)
Epiglottitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (Medical Encyclopedia)
Herpangina (Medical Encyclopedia)
Laryngitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
Laryngoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia)
Retropharyngeal abscess (Medical Encyclopedia)
Strep throat (Medical Encyclopedia)
Throat swab culture (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Windpipe disorders

Your trachea, or windpipe, is one part of your airway system. Airways are pipes that carry oxygen-rich air to your lungs. They also carry carbon dioxide, a waste gas, out of your lungs.

When you inhale, air travels from your nose, through your larynx, and down your windpipe. The windpipe splits into two bronchi that enter your lungs.

Problems with the trachea include narrowing, inflammation, and some inherited conditions. You may need a procedure called a tracheostomy to help you breathe if you have swallowing problems, or have conditions that affect coughing or block your airways. You might also need a tracheostomy if you are in critical care and need to be on a breathing machine.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute