When drinking water and it “goes down the wrong pipe” is that water entering your airways? And if so, how does it go away?

Question

When drinking water and it “goes down the wrong pipe” is that water entering your airways? And if so, how does it go away?

In: 1309

Answer 1

A lot of people have answered the question, but Ctrl+F hasn’t brought up the epiglottis on my browser. It’s a little flap in your throat that is supposed to close the trachea, which is where air goes, automatically when you swallow, which helps to prevent things going down the wrong pipe.