Water is not a corrosive chemical nor harmful to human flesh, so why does it burn when inhaled?
In: Biology
that “burning” sensation is a fairly generic distress signal.
different membranes want different things. this includes moisture level, salt/electrolyte content, pressure, and a whole host of other factors. when those conditions are wrong, things stop working properly.
when exposed to normal water they experience a large amount of osmotic pressure (the salty stuff inside the tissue wants to balance out the water you just shoved up there) that can be damaging. the body responds to this with inflammation and telling you to stop whatever you’re doing.
you esophagus simply has different conditions that it likes. your throat needs to put up with all the food you eat, so it’s a bit less picky about things like pH and salt content. though not without limit.
for comparison, your nasal membranes tolerate dryness much better than your throat. that’s actually part of the reason you *can* breathe through your nose, and why it’s recommended during exercise and in severe cold. your nose pre-moistens the air for your throat and lungs.
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