Your nasopharynx is the top part of your throat (pharynx), connecting your nose to your respiratory system. It contains your adenoids, which help prevent infection. Your nasopharynx also contains part of your eustachian tubes, which drain fluid from your ears. Conditions that affect your nasopharynx include the common cold and enlarged adenoids.

Your nasopharynx is the top part of your throat (pharynx). It’s a muscular, box-shaped passageway behind your nose, just above the roof of your mouth. Your nasopharynx allows air to pass from your nose into your windpipe (trachea) and eventually, into your lungs.

As the part of your throat closest to your nose, your nasopharynx is particularly vulnerable to germs, like the ones that cause upper respiratory infections. Taking precautions to keep from getting sick can help protect your nasopharynx.