A Dangerous Bend in the Road

The good news is: there is a sharp downward bend at the back of your throat. The bad news is: there is a sharp downward bend in the back of your throat.

Incoming air travels horizontally through the nose-maze and suddenly turns downward toward your lungs. Food and saliva travel horizontally through your mouth and suddenly turn downward toward your stomach.

There are a couple of really scary inches in there that resemble a major intersection in downtown Beijing at rush hour. Actually it is always rush hour in downtown Beijing.

Mother Nature wasn’t having a Stupid Day when she put this design together. The 90-degree bend causes the incoming air to drop some of its pollution-load so the mucus can grab and dump irritants before they sneak into your fragile lungs. The bend is like a sharp turn in a stream that causes the dropping of silt.

There is, however, a tricky crossover at that point. The food must be kept separate from the air or your liverwurst could end up in your lungs. There is even a tiny trap door that slams shut when you swallow to guard your airways.

Countless wonderful human beings die each year because they simultaneously eat and laugh, eat and talk, eat and lounge, drink and smoke. That little right angle bend is a tricky piece of road. It is a dangerous place to multitask.