Can you really swallow something “down the wrong pipe?”

When that piece of crusty bread or sip of coffee goes down the wrong pipe – where does it go?

Chances are that embarrassing gag reflex and coughing fit will save the day. That's your body’s attempt to clear your windpipe. About midway down your throat is where those pipes are located. One is the gullet or esophagus, that’s the right pipe, and the other is the trachea or windpipe, the wrong pipe for food. The epiglottis is the gatekeeper and does it’s best to keep the undesirables out of your windpipe.

A lot is going on in there with every bite you take and several things have to go right to prevent that food or beverage from taking a wrong turn halfway down. If you’re rushing or talking while eating, you’re asking your body to simultaneously breathe and swallow – cue the coughing attack. That violent outburst is usually enough to clear the airway and prevent aspiration of foreign food objects all the way into the lungs.