Skip to main content

Upper Airway Physiology

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Competencies in Sleep Medicine
  • 1000 Accesses

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of upper airway physiology and anatomy. In addition to using the ACGME program requirements guide, this chapter is based on feedback from residents in otolaryngology as well fellows in sleep medicine programs and residents in other nonsurgical fields as well. Some fellows will have previously had some training in examining the upper aerodigestive tract, but the focus is to help the fellow develop a more discerning eye that is necessary to recognize features of the awake upper airway (UA) that can increase a practitioner’s inunderstanding of how the upper airway might behave during sleep.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Selected References

  1. Dempsey JA, Veasey SC, Morgan BJ, et al. Pathophysiology of sleep apnea. Physiol Rev. 2010;90:47–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Tsuiki S, Almeida FR, Bhalla PS, et al. Supine-dependent changes in upper airway size in awake obstructive sleep apnea patients. Sleep Breath. 2003;7:43–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Jacobowitz O. Surgical reconstruction of the upper airway for obstructive sleep apnea. Dent Clin North Am. 2012;56:453–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Katyal V, Pamula Y, Martin AJ, et al. Craniofacial and upper airway morphology in pediatric sleep-disordered breathing: systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2013;143:20–30 e23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hillman DR, Platt PR, Eastwood PR. Anesthesia, sleep, and upper airway collapsibility. Anesthesiol Clin. 2010;28:443–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Horner RL. Pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea. J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev. 2008;28:289–98.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Isono S. Obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea: mechanisms for increased collapsibility of the passive pharyngeal airway. Respirology. 2012;17:32–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Schwartz AR, Patil SP, Squier S, et al. Obesity and upper airway control during sleep. J Appl Physiol. 2010;108:430–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Togeiro SM, Chaves Jr CM, Palombini L, et al. Evaluation of the upper airway in obstructive sleep apnoea. Indian J Med Res. 2010;131:230–5.

    Google Scholar 

  10. American Thoracic Society. Structure and function of the upper airway: implications for sleep apnea. 2006. Web Resource: http://www.thoracic.org/clinical/sleep/learning-in-sleep.php

  11. Woodson T, Physiology of Sleep Disordered Breathing, in Sleep Disorders, edited by T. Lee-Chiong Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan Baskin M.D. .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Baskin, J. (2014). Upper Airway Physiology. In: Competencies in Sleep Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9065-4_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics