What is airway obstruction?
Also known as: Upper airway obstruction, lower airway obstruction, partial airway obstruction, complete airway obstruction, blockage of the airway and many others.
The airway of the respiratory tract are the tubes that allow the passage of air from your mouth and nose to pass to the lungs with breathing.
They are divided into upper airway obstructions:
- Nose
- Throat-naso and oro-pharynx
- Mouth
- Larynx (voice box)
And lower airway obstructions:
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Airways (or respiratory tract)
Airway obstructions can occur in any of the part of the airway. These obstructions can range from mild to severe and/or be life-threatening, and may occur acutely, over a short time period, or chronically, over a longer time frame.
Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP
This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM
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