In the previous series we went from tickling throat, enhanced hearing and running or bleeding noses,to a better way to swallow pills. In this series we’ll dive even further in the secrets of our bodies.
- Calm Yourself With Water
Don’t let the nerves get the best of you. In situations where you feel like hitting a wall, hit the water. A big splash of cold water on your face will trick your body into thinking that you are making a dive, which will in terms make it use oxygen more efficiently. And we all know: more oxygen means better function of the nerves. This is called the mammalian dive reflex and it is genetically present in all mammals including humans.
- Breathe Underwater
When we dive, the urge for air is not because of absence of oxygen, but rather because of large presence of carbon dioxide which makes your blood acidic. So before you dive, clean your blood from the carbon dioxide buildup by taking several short breaths in order to hyperventilate. This will allow your body to endure 10 seconds more under water as it tricks your body into thinking that it has more oxygen.
- Calm Your Heart Down
Feeling nervous before your big interview or before you meet that girl or guy you have a huge crush on? Calm your heartbeat by blowing on your thumb. This will get your heart rate back to normal, as the nerve which is responsible for the heart rate can be controlled through breathing. Also take a moment to calm your mind down too – just focus on blowing your thumb.
- Feel No Pain From Needle Pricks
Whether it’s taking an injection or giving blood, as much as we might think we’re doing a good job to our body or to others, the pain from the needle is not so enjoyable. You can lessen the pain by coughing during the needle stick. Coughing creates a rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, which will in terms inhibit the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.
- Relieve Brain Freeze
We can end this series with a nice cold ice-cream. Don’t worry – after reading this you won’t be concerned of brain freeze anymore. The reason for brain freeze is that when the roof of your mouth gets chilled by the ice-cream, your body thinks that your brain is freezing too, so it overheats to prevent this from happening. What you can do is press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth and cover as much as you can. This will heat back the roof and the headache will disappear. The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster the headache will go away.
Stick around for part III, where you will learn even more interesting tricks and facts about your body.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.