If you get a small amount of water in your lungs will it drain out?

Answer 1

Yes, so to speak.

And no. A very small amount can leave, but not necessarily by "drain[ing] out."

Actually, with a small amount of water, you will either cough it out, breathe it out as water vapor, or it might be absorbed into the parenchyma (tissue) of the lung. In healthy individuals, this is usually the case with no sequelae (bad things happening later, like pneumonia). We breathe in water in the air (humidity) all the time with no problems, in fact our lungs do not function as well in drier air and can even become irritated in such environments.


Larger amounts of water of course can overwhelm and interfere with the gas (oxygen) exchange that is happening between the lung tissue and the air you breathe in. This is known as asphyxiation (suffocation, lack of oxygen) or drowning (suffocation due to liquid in the lungs). However, with small amounts, like a child coming up from a swimming pool choking or taking a drink that "goes down the wrong pipe" your body will taking care of removing the offending liquid from your lungs by whatever means necessary.


Water is generally harmless, though other beverages may be harmful (soda pop can can cause damage related to its acidity, coffee can cause damage related to its hot temperature, etc), and can cause something as minor as a cough for a few minutes to severe aspiration pneumonia (life-threatening infection in the lungs caused by breathing in ingested liquids, phlegm, vomit, etc).


Hope that thoroughly answers your question!


My credentials: medical student, 4th year