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

Yes, it goes down the trachea (windpipe) towards the lungs instead of the esophagus, towards the stomach.

It goes away by you coughing. That’s why we all have a reflexive cough when that happens. The cough moves the liquid back up so it can go back down the right pipe (or out the mouth).