Choking on drinking water is not damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Choking on water is a sign of damage to the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve. The nerves innervating the thyroid gland include the superior laryngeal nerve and the recurrent laryngeal nerve, both of which come from the vagus nerve. Nerve damage can occur when thyroid surgery is performed improperly. 1. The superior laryngeal nerve is divided into internal and external branches. The internal branch is a sensory branch, which is distributed in the laryngeal mucosa, while the external branch is a motor branch, which innervates the cricothyroid muscle and tenses the vocal cords. When handling the upper pole of the thyroid gland during thyroid surgery, improper handling can cause injury to the superior laryngeal nerve. Injury to the internal branch will result in choking on drinking water, and injury to the external branch will result in a decrease in voice pitch. 2. The recurrent laryngeal nerve has left and right sides and innervates all the muscles in the larynx except the cricothyroid muscle. Improper operation will cause damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve when dealing with the lower pole of the thyroid gland during thyroid surgery. If one side of the recurrent laryngeal nerve is damaged, hoarseness will occur. If both sides of the recurrent laryngeal nerve are damaged, loss of voice or severe respiratory distress, or even asphyxia, will occur. Choking on drinking water is a manifestation of damage to the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve, and it is recommended to go to the hospital in time for standardized treatment under the guidance of the doctor.