Musafir

Most of us have experienced uncomfortable hiccups, sometimes embarrassing, but usually short-lived. But sometimes hiccups persist for a longer period of time and can be a sign of serious underlying diseases. The medical term for hiccups is ‘singultus’. But have you ever wondered that from where these funny noises are coming from? Actually, the part to blame is your diaphragm-‘a dome-shaped muscles at the bottom of your chest’. The diaphragm almost always works properly like when we inhale, it contracts so as to allow the air to pass into the lungs freely. Similarly, during exhalation, it relaxes so that the air moves out freely. But sometimes the diaphragm gets irritated, especially when we eat too fast or feeling nervous or excited. Then it contracts in a jerky way which makes us suck air into throat suddenly. Imagine you are traveling in a bus, how will you feel if you experience a lot of jerk. Similarly, diaphragm also gets irritated and hence it allows air to enter in...

 Tickling (Gudgudi) is the act of touching a part of a body in a way that causes involuntary twitching movements or laughter. When you're touched, the nerve endings under the top layer of your skin i.e. epidermis, sends electrical signals to the brain. The sensory nervous system picks up the signals relating to pressure, and also analyses the signals. This signal goes to the part of the brain that governs pleasurable feelings (like eating a chocolate).     The tickle can be divided into two separate categories of sensation; Knismesis (say it as Knees-me-Sis) and Gargalesis (Gargle-Sis). Knismesis, also known as a "moving itch", is a mildly annoying sensation caused due to a light movement on the skin, such as from a crawling insect. This explains how it has evolved in many animals. And the immediate reflex is of being scared and shaking away the source of the tickle. Gargalesis reactions refer to a pleasurable, laughter provoking feeling caused by a harsher, deeper, press...