The trachea, or windpipe, is part of the airway system — the pipes that carry oxygen-rich air into the lungs and carry carbon dioxide, a waste gas, out. Breathing in, air passes from the nose through the larynx and down the windpipe, which divides into the two bronchi that enter the lungs.
What can go wrong
Problems of the trachea include narrowing, inflammation and some inherited conditions.
Tracheostomy
A tracheostomy is a procedure to help a person breathe. It may be needed:
- for swallowing problems;
- for conditions that affect coughing or block the airways;
- in critical care, for someone who needs to be on a breathing machine.
Sources
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Tracheal Disorders," drawing on the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://medlineplus.gov/trachealdisorders.html
- Rewritten in hubnx's own words.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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