[ELI5] When you accidentally inhale something, like water or food, and you cough it mostly up and are fine, how does the rest get out of your lungs and how do you not get pneumonia?

Question

[ELI5] When you accidentally inhale something, like water or food, and you cough it mostly up and are fine, how does the rest get out of your lungs and how do you not get pneumonia?

In: Biology

Answer 1

If one maintains proper oral hygiene the risk of pneumonia upon aspiration of water is virtually zero. The lungs are moist. So unless the water ingested picks up a bunch of nasty bacteria in the mouth on it’s way toward the trachea it’s not a big deal.
When people suffer even severe dysphagia (aka: getting stuff “down the wrong pipe”) it’s not uncommon to implement a “free water protocol” when they are otherwise encouraged to avoid eating or drinking due to a high risk of aspiration.