TIL: ...the super complicated way that we manipulate our vocal cords. Explaining it would take too long for a blog post, so instead I give you a video of a quartet singing from the inside. Enjoy!
Make fullscreen for better viewing!
There are spillways on either side of the epiglottis (the flap at the bottom of the tongue that blocks off the trachea when you swallow) that allow you to constantly swallow excess mucus while breathing.
Whales sing underwater by moving air back and forth between their mouths and their stomachs through the vocal cords. You can try this at home by taking a modest breath, plugging your mouth and nose, and trying to make noise. Sounds pretty whale-like, doesn't it?
Topical anesthetics can be used to numb/paralyse the muscles of the larynx (say for a bronchoscopy), however they don't reach the superior and recurrent laryngeal nerves. These nerves innervate the muscles of the larynx but also sense distension of the aorta. A problem can arise when the brain, unaware of the scope in the throat, interprets an increase in pressure on the laryngeal muscles as sudden high blood pressure in the aorta. This can set off a dangerous reflex where the brain tries to lower the blood pressure leading to a heart arrhythmia and even cardiac arrest.
Prescribe lemon candy for salivary stones. The lemony acidity will cause the patient to increase salivary production and reduce stagnation and crystallization of the salivary fluid.
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