The respiratory system starts at the nose and mouth and continues through the airways to the lungs. Air enters the respiratory system through the nose and mouth and passes down the throat (pharynx) and through the voice box, or Adam's apple (larynx). The entrance to the larynx is covered by a small flap of tissue (epiglottis) that automatically closes when swallowing, thus preventing food or drink from entering the airways.
The largest airway is the windpipe (trachea), which branches into two smaller airways: the left and right bronchi, which lead to the two lungs. The left lung is a little smaller than the right lung because it shares space in the left side of the chest with the heart. Each lung is divided into sections (lobes): three in the right lung and two in the left lung.
Disorders that affect the lungs and airways are called lung or pulmonary disorders. Depending on the person's symptoms, a doctor usually recommends a variety of tests to help determine the person's exact disorder.
A doctor usually can tell whether a person has a lung or airway disorder based on the medical history and physical examination. Diagnostic procedures are used to confirm the diagnosis, determine the extent and severity of the disease, and help in planning treatment.
Common Respiratory Tract Infections
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