how can humans drink liquid without choking? but not when swimming....?

Question

how it is possible that humans drink liquids and don't choke but can't hold self under water with out swallowing water and choking, like in a pool? do something turn itself "off" in our throats when we drink liquids? how do ur body know the difference between pool water n' soda (lol).

Answer 1

when you drink liquids the air pipe is closed off and all the liquid goes into the stomach. When you swim, you hold your breath in and your mouth is closed so water doesn't go down the air pipe. Your air pipe only opens when you breathe.

Answer 2

as other people said, your body has an epiglottis, which is a flap covering the opening to your lungs. when you normally eat and drink, the epiglottis is closed so the food can go to your stomach etc. when you breathe it's open, so air can go to your lungs etc. i don't know why it doesn't work for pool water, since it's just like drinking regular water, but i guess it's like when you drink something and you drink it too fast so it goes the wrong way. that's why.

Answer 3

If you just keep drinking liquids you can drown. A radio station was in the news recently, a woman died because she took part in a stunt to see who could drink the most water.

Answer 4

hey dude, you take a swim in ten million gallons of soda you will probably choke on that too.

Answer 5

i have heard that you can relax and just go under water and live there. we are surrounded by it at birth it makes sense that we should be comfortable underwater. But that was in one of those sci fi movies i think. give it a try.

Answer 6

it's called an epiglottis. you should be able to look that up on any medical info sight.

Answer 7

too much of a good thing isn't good...