Other causes of upper airway obstruction include Blood Mucus Vomitus Foreign body Spasm of the vocal cords Edema of the vocal cords Pharyngolaryngeal or tracheal inflammation (eg, epiglottitis, croup) Tumor Trauma Patients with congenital developmental disorders (eg, Down syndrome, laryngeal disorders, congenital jaw abnormalities) often have abnormal upper airways that are more easily obstructed.