Abrupt body responses

What Makes These Abrupt  Body Responses?

Why burping occurs?

Burping or Belching is the act of expelling air from the stomach through the mouth. It usually occurs when the stomach distends, or expands because of too much swallowed air. Belching releases the air to reduce the distension. When we eat or drink, we also swallow gases along with the food or fluid that causes the distension of the stomach. This extra gas is forced out of the stomach through the oesophagus and out of the mouth as burp. It commonly occurs drink carbonated beverages, drink through straw or eat very fast that causes indigestion.

Why hiccups occurs?

 
Hiccups are bursts of inspiratory (breathing in) activity. Usually, hiccups come after eating or drinking too much or too quickly. This causes the abrupt distension of stomach and irritates the diaphragm which lies close to it. This results in the abrupt contraction of the diaphragm and pulls down in a jerky way, which makes to suck air into the throat suddenly. When the air rushing in hits the voice box, vocal cords close suddenly and causes hiccup. Carbonated fizzy drinks, alcohol, excess smoking, hot and spicy food etc. may trigger hiccups.
Sometimes hiccups occur because of a disturbance to the nerve pathways from the brain to the muscles involved. That’s why hiccups occur with temperature changes or emotional situations. That is why a sudden shock can sometimes abolish an attack.

Why Goosebumps occurs?

 Goosebumps are tiny elevations of the skin. These bumps are caused by a contraction of miniature muscles that are attached to each hair. The contraction lift up the skin and the hair present on the skin a little bit, especially on the arms and legs. Goosebumps are controlled by the autonomic nervous system and hence is not under voluntary control of an individual. People also tend to experience goose bumps during extreme emotional situations like pride, excitement, fear, stress, extreme anger, sexual arousal. Goosebumps also occurs in extreme cold conditions as straightened hair traps a layer of air against the skin to insulate the body and generate the effect of warmth.

Why do we shiver when cold?

 Shivering is because of rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles. In extreme cold conditions, the skin receptors send signals to brain to warm up the body. In response to the massage, the  brain in turn send massages to all the nerves of the body and cause rapid and repeated contraction and relaxation of the muscles. This action of the muscle produces heat in an attempt to increase the temperature of the body.

Why do we sneeze?

 Sneezing is also known as sternutation. It is reflex act that makes a sudden violent spasmodic audible expiration. When anything such as dust, cold air, pepper irritates the epithelium lining of the nose, the nerve endings stimulates and activate the reflex inside the brain and causes rapid expulsion of air to remove the irritant from the nose. In common cold, virus makes a temporary home there and causes lot of swelling and irritation.

Why do we snore?

Snoring happens when air cannot move freely through the nose and throat during sleep. This causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate and produce snoring sound. Decreased muscle tone due to age, overweight , muscle relaxation due to alcohol or tranquilizers and sleep posture are some of the common causes of snoring.