system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What causes us to choke on things we swallow?

When someone starts choking, all I have ever heard is that the person "swallowed something wrong" or "it went down the wrong pipe," followed by quite a lot of coughing and attempts to clear the throat.  Can someone please ELI5 what is actually happening? Is it because of really bad, um, swallowing technique or maybe swallowing something too quickly?  Also, why is it seemingly impossible to clear one's throat immediately after beginning to choke on something and the normal ritual of clearing the throat begins?

I have always wanted to ask but felt it might be a stupid question to ask someone in person, and I never thought to ask my Biology teacher back in high school.  I have choked on both food and liquids, of course, but nothing makes me feel stupider than when I choke on my own saliva lol...
gpt
When you "choke", it is because something other than air has entered your lungs. This can be a piece of food or aspirated liquid that you've inhaled (including saliva).  Coughing expels air and foreign material from your lungs, so you're not actually clearing your "throat"/esophagus, but rather trying to force out whatever has entered your lungs through your trachea/windpipe.