The trachea can become infected, inflamed, or damaged.
Tracheal cancer is another rare condition that can affect the organ.
The trachea is connected to the larynx by a ring of cartilage (cricoidcartilage).
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The back (posterior) wall of the trachea is not covered by cartilage.
The trachea also has a web connection of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.
Blood vessels give the tissues oxygen and nutrients and regulate the exchange of heat inside the airway.
As air flows into the trachea during inhalation, it is warmed and moisturized before entering the lungs.
Most particles that enter the airway are trapped in the thin layer of mucus on the trachea walls.
They are then moved up toward the mouth by cilia, where they can be coughed up or swallowed.
These small contractions of the trachea occur involuntarily as part of normal breathing (respiration).
What Conditions Affect the Trachea?
The trachea is vulnerable to any substances that are breathed in that can damage tissue and affect breathing.
Certain infections and diseases can also affect the trachea.
Symptoms of Trachea Problems
Many people with tracheal conditions do not have any symptoms.
If these symptoms are severe, go to urgent care or the emergency room.
If an object cannot be expelled from the trachea, a person can choke.
Tracheitis
Tracheitisis inflammation of the trachea.
It occurs almost always only in children.
It is usually linked to abacterial infectionthat has spread from the upper respiratory tract.
High-pitched wheezing resulting from airway obstruction or restriction (stridor) is a common symptom of tracheitis.
Croup (laryngotracheobronchitis) is an inflammatory, infectious illness that can lead to airway blockages in children.
Bacterial tracheitis is usually treated with antibiotics.
Severe cases may need intravenous antibiotics as well as intubation andmechanical ventilation to help with breathing.
A complication isaspiration pneumonia.
Roughly one of every 4,000 children in the United States is born with a tracheoesophageal fistula.
In most cases, it can be treated with surgery.
People who need prolonged ventilation are at the highest risk for it.
Stenosis can be treated with stents and tracheal dilation.
In severe cases, surgery is needed to fix it.
Tracheomalacia
Tracheomalaciais an uncommon condition where the trachea collapses on itself during breathing and coughing.
Tracheomalacia can also affect babies if they are born with weakness of tracheal cartilage (congenital).
Symptoms include stridor, rattling breath sounds, and cyanosis.
Tracheal Cancer
Tracheal cancer is extremely rare, occurring in only about one in every 500,000 people.
Tumors that are not cancer (benign)likechondromasandpapillomascan also form in the trachea.
Some people with tracheal cancer can be treated with radiation alone.
Chemotherapy with radiation often is used if a tumor cannot be taken out.
Tracheal stenosis is one example.
In this case, the scars that form are usually permanent.
Chest percussion, vibration/oscillation, deep breathing, and controlled coughing are examples of techniques that can be used.
A humidifier and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment might also be recommended.
CPT is sometimes recommended for adults with tracheomalacia or chronic airway obstruction or restriction.
Regular exercise, 20 to 30 minutes five times weekly, can also help.
A rigid silicone or metal sleeve (stent) is then put in to hold the trachea open.
Tracheal dilation and stent placement are typically only used when surgery is not possible.
Most procedures can be done on an outpatient basis and only require a short-acting anesthetic like propofol.
The procedure, calledablation, can release the retracted tissue and help a person breathe better.
However, possible side effects include pain, cough, and infection.
The rate of complications after fistula repair surgery is highbetween 32% and 56%.
Pneumonia, airway obstruction, wound infection, and reopening of the fistula are the most common complications.
TRR is considered major surgery and typically requires two to three weeks of recovery.
Complications include post-operative stenosis or fistula as well asvocal cord dysfunction.
These procedures involve removing diseased tissue and putting in a full-thickness skin graft from the thigh.
Summary
The main function of the trachea is to bring air to your lungs.
There are many conditions that can affect the trachea.
Diagnosing tracheal disorders usually requires seeing a provider who specializes in them and can recommend the best treatment.
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