An airway obstruction is a blockage in any part of the airway. The airway is a complex system of tubes that transmits inhaled air from your nose and mouth into your lungs. An obstruction may partially or totally prevent air from getting into your lungs.
Some airway obstructions are minor, while others are life threatening emergencies that require immediate medical attention.
Types of airway obstructions
The types of airway obstructions are classified based on where the obstruction occurs and how much it blocks:
- Upper airway obstructions occur in the area from your nose and lips to your larynx (voice box).
- Lower airway obstructions occur between your larynx and the narrow passageways of your lungs.
- Partial airway obstructions allow some air to pass. You can still breathe with a partial airway obstruction, but it’s difficult.
- Complete airway obstructions don’t allow any air to pass. You can’t breathe if you have a complete airway obstruction.
- Acute airway obstructions are blockages that occur quickly. Choking on a foreign object is an example of an acute airway obstruction.
- Chronic airway obstructions occur two ways: by blockages that take a long time to develop or by blockages that last for a long time.
What causes an airway obstruction?
An airway obstruction is often depicted as someone choking on a piece of food. But that’s only one of many things that can cause an airway obstruction. Other causes include:
- inhaling or swallowing a foreign object
- small object lodged in the nose or mouth
- allergic reaction
- trauma to the airway from an accident
- vocal cord issues
- breathing in a large amount of smoke from a fire
- viral infections
- bacterial infections
- respiratory illness that causes upper airway inflammation
- swelling of the tongue or epiglottis
- abscesses in the throat or tonsils
- collapse of the tracheal wall (tracheomalacia)
- asthma
- chronic bronchitis
- emphysema
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