WHAT HAPPENS WHEN FOOD GOES DOWN THE WRONG WAY?

False passage of food means that we swallowed food that went the wrong way.

When we swallow, the epiglottis closes to block the entrance to the larynx and to send food towards the pharynx and then the oesophagus.

However, in some cases, liquids or food particles may end up in the airway, passing through the larynx, trachea and then 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 larynx. It could also simply be because we took a breath at the wrong time.