Word parts
What it means
The section of the pharynx you see when a person opens the mouth wide and says "ah". Both air and food pass through it. The tonsils sit on its side walls. Above it is the nasopharynxnay-zoh-FAIR-inksThe top part of the throat, behind the nose and above the soft palate.nas/o nosepharyng/o throatFull entry ; below it, the throat divides into the voice box (for air) and the esophagusih-SOF-uh-gusThe muscular tube that carries food and liquid from the throat to the stomach.esophag/o esophagusFull entry (for food).
For the nurse
Oropharyngeal suctioning clears secretions from the back of the throat in a client who cannot cough them up. An oral airway is sized from the corner of the mouth to the angle of the jaw and is only used in a client with no gag reflex.
At a glance
| Spanish | orofaringe |
|---|---|
| Also written | oropharyngeal |
Related terms
airway
The passages that carry air into and out of the lungs, from the nose and mouth to the smallest air tubes.
respiratory system
The organs that bring air into the body and move oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of it.
nasopharynx
The top part of the throat, behind the nose and above the soft palate.
sore throat
Pain, scratchiness or irritation of the throat, often worse when swallowing.