Is it bad for you if your drinking water and goes down the wrong tube?

No, it is not typically harmful if drinking water goes down the wrong tube. The human body has a natural reflex called the "laryngeal reflex" or "cough reflex" that helps prevent liquids or food from entering the lungs. When liquid enters the trachea instead of the esophagus, the reflex is triggered, causing a cough or gag reflex that expels the liquid and prevents it from reaching the lungs.

This reflex mechanism ensures that liquids are directed to the stomach through the esophagus and helps protect the respiratory system from aspiration, which is the accidental entry of foreign substances into the lungs. Therefore, small amounts of drinking water accidentally going down the wrong tube are usually expelled by the body's natural reflexes and do not pose a significant health risk.