9 Things Your Body Does That Are Defense Mechanisms
There
are some fascinating defense mechanisms our bodies activate that may
seem a little strange, however they all have important roles in
protecting our health 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Take a look:
Yawning
It's main purpose is to cool the brain down after it's been overheated or overloaded.
Hiccups
Hiccups occur when we tend to eat
quickly, swallow large pieces of food or overeat, which may irritate our
pneumogastric nerve, resulting in hiccups.
Sneezing
Sneezing
occurs when our nasal passages fill with too many allergens, microbes,
dust or other irritants. Sneezing helps us get rid of them.
Myoclonic Jerks
This usually occurs when you drift
off to sleep and your body jolts for a second. In this moment your
muscles spasm strongly, causing you to awake instantly. When you fall
asleep, the frequency of your breathing rapidly falls and your pulse
slows down slightly, relaxing your muscles. Your brain may interpret
this as a heralding death, thus causing your body to jolt in order to
save you.
Stretching
We
instinctively stretch to prepare our bodies for the physical loads we
expect to take on during the day. Stretching also works the muscles,
restores blood flow and improves our mood.
Wrinkling of the skin
Wrinkles that appear on your skin
and hands after a shower play a fundamental role. When your body
encounters an increased amount of moisture it understands that the
environment around you may be slippery. Your skin therefore begins to
form wrinkles in order to have a better grip on smooth surfaces.
Goosebumps
Goosebumps reduce the amount of heat our bodies lose through the pores of our skin, making it easier to keep ourselves warm.
Loss of memory
Memory loss tends to occur after
the most unpleasant experiences, whereby our brains literally delete
terrible moments from our memories.
Tears
Tears
act as a protection for the mucous membrane of our eye when a foreign
object comes into contact with it. Scientists also believe that in
stressful situations the body creates a new, powerful source of
irritation in order to distract a person from the pain they are
currently experiencing.