9 Odd Things Your Body Does That Are Actually Defense Mechanisms

The body truly is a marvel of design, but it is something that most of us really don’t give the attention it deserves. In fact, the only time we tend to think about our body is when we are experiencing some type of problem. Rather than waiting for aches and pains to take notice of how marvelous you really are, however, you can think about these 9 things.

Our body is amazing in the fact that it takes care of us without us even having to give it any thought. The following 9 things that the body does are natural defense mechanisms, and they really help us to both survive and thrive. These mechanisms are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and they help to protect us from things that we don’t even realise exist.

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Yawning

1

When the brain becomes overheated or overloaded, yawning helps it to cool down.

Sneezing

2

When our nasal passages fill up with microbes, allergens or other irritants, sneezing takes out the trash.

Stretching

3

Stretching is an instinctive reaction to prepare us for physical activity. It also works the muscles and restores blood flow.

Hiccuping

4

If you eat quickly, swallow large bites of food or overeat, it irritates the pneumogastric nerve, affecting the diaphragm and causing us to hiccup

Myoclonic jerk

5

When you’re just drifting off to sleep and suddenly you jolt yourself awake, this is known as a myoclonic jerk. It sometimes is so powerful that it may make you think you’re going to fall out of bed.

When you first fall asleep, your breathing rate drops quickly and your pulse slows down. Your brain may think that you are dying, so it gives you a jolt to keep you alive.

Wrinkling skin

6

If you are in the water for a while, your skin may wrinkle. Your body does this because it recognises that a wet environment may be a slippery environment. The wrinkles make it easier for you to grip things

Memory loss

7

We sometimes forget things when we experience traumatic events. Those horrible moments are actually deleted from the brain.

Goosebumps

8

Goosebumps reduce the heat loss that our body is experiencing through the skin. It makes it easier for us to stay warm

Tears

9

Tears benefit the mucous membrane of the eye by protecting it and helping to remove foreign objects. They are also associated with our emotional defenses, often distracting us from the pain that we may be experiencing.

Via: Bright Side

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