What happens when food goes down the wrong way?
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When we swallow, the
epiglottis closes to block the
larynx, the entrance to the
airways, and sends food towards the pharynx and then the
oesophagus. However, sometimes, liquid or pieces of food can get into the airways, passing through the larynx, the trachea and into the lungs.
What are the causes?
Food going down the wrong way is sometimes the result of paralysis of the nerves that control the pharynx and the larynx or the consequence of taking a breath at the wrong time.