They are invisible, so we remind ourselves of them when pain in that part of the body signals that something is wrong. Meanwhile, it is thanks to them that we are able to speak, eat, breathe - often almost at the same time. The throat and esophagus deserve far more attention than we give them every day. And - as you will see below - they are not boring at all!
At first glance, the throat and esophagus are not very impressive, and it would seem that only an ENT or gastroenterologist, or an internist as a last resort, can admire them - because doctors of these specializations deal with them most often.
As it turns out, these organs are just as fascinating as the liver and kidneys - and just as important. And what they can - and squeeze through - can really be admirable. Anyway, see for yourself.
You can eat and drink while hanging upside down.This is possible because the food from the mouth does not fall directly into the stomach by gravity, but is forced into it by regular muscle contractions.
To transport food from the mouth to the stomach, you need as many as 50 muscles , which work in a specific way and in a specific order - all this to ensure that the food goes where it is should and accidentally not block the respiratory system.
Both the food and the air we swallow while breathing down our throat in the same way - through a narrow tunnel that separates at some point.The epiglottis protects us against accidental but complete blockage of the respiratory system,which is a kind of latch that opens when we breathe and closes when swallowing, directing food towards the stomach and air towards the lungs .
The brain is involved in the work of the mouth, throat and esophagus, which monitors the type of food while eatingand depending on what we are eating - whether they are hard pieces, soft pulp or even liquid content - it makes us chew it or allows us to swallow it right away. All this to prevent too hard or too large pieces of food from getting stuck in the esophagus.
As statistics show, many cases of choking in the US and UK are mistaken for a heart attack. A rescue in the event of chokingthere is a Heimlich grip, which - properly performed - allows you to remove the blockage from the esophagus.
The throat and esophagus are muscular and quite flexible, which, apart from eating, allows people to swallow quite unusual objects.The world's largest collection of items stuck in the larynx, trachea, esophagus (or below - e.g. in the bronchi or the pleural cavity) fatally gathered the American physician Chevalier Quixote Jackson, who specialized in extracting and analyzing foreign bodies swallowed by people.
The exhibits that the doctor took from the bodies of the living and the dead (they can be seen at the Muttter Museum at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania) includea watch, a small padlock, a radiator valve, or miniature binoculars, and even a locket with the words "wear me for good luck".
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