| umls-concept:C0040580 | skos:definition | MEDLINEPLUS: <p>Your trachea, or windpipe, is one part of your airway system. Airways are pipes that carry oxygen-rich air to your lungs. They also carry carbon dioxide, a waste gas, out of your lungs. </p><p>When you inhale, air travels from your nose, through your larynx, and down your windpipe. The windpipe splits into two bronchi that enter your lungs.</p><p>Problems with the trachea include narrowing, inflammation, and some inherited conditions. You may need a procedure called a tracheostomy to help you breathe if you have swallowing problems, or have conditions that affect coughing or block your airways. You might also need a tracheostomy if you are in <a href='http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/criticalcare.html'>critical care</a> and need to be on a ventilator.</p><p style="font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;">NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute</p>,NCI: A non-neoplastic or neoplastic disorder that affects the trachea. Representative examples of non-neoplastic disorders include congenital m | lld:umls |
