Enteral respiration

Enteral respiration is the way our body breathes when we are eating and swallowing. You know how sometimes you take a bite of food and then you have to stop and breathe through your nose because your mouth is full? That's enteral respiration!

When you chew and swallow your food, it goes down your throat and into your digestive system. But your body still needs air to keep you alive, so it has a special way of getting air in and out while you eat. This is where enteral respiration comes in.

As you swallow your food, a little flap called the epiglottis closes off your windpipe so that the food goes down the right tube (the esophagus) and doesn't go into your lungs. But your body still needs air, so there are also small channels in your throat called the larynx that let air pass through even when the epiglottis is closed.

So, while you are eating and swallowing, your body is still breathing in and out. You might notice that you breathe a little differently than when you are not eating, but you still get enough air to keep your body going until you finish your meal and can breathe normally again.

In summary, enteral respiration is the way our body breathes while we are eating and swallowing. It allows us to get air in and out even while we have food in our mouth and throat.