You may not know it, but our bodies do some uncomfortable, at times embarrassing or simply weird things. But what really causes these reactions? Read on to learn the common reasons for 20 strange bodily functions.

Coughs

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Your body has another defense mechanism to get rid of irritants, by coughing, the airway is cleared of irritants, foreign particles and microbes. By coughing, sensory nerves along  your respiratory passages are stimulated thus forcing irritants out of your nose.  Common colds, sinus infections and pneumonia all increase your body’s mucus production, which triggers coughing. Coughing is also a common symptom when the airways are ‘tight’, as in asthma or heavy smoking.

Sneezes

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Foreign particles or irritants inside your nose can trigger a sneeze. These irritants include cold air, dust or pepper. When you catch a cold, your body makes mucus to trap the virus, and sneezing helps force it.  (and the sickness) out of your body.  Sneezing can further be triggered when a person has allergies to certain things, such as animal dander  or pollen. Also, sudden climate change, a particularly full stomach, exposure to bright light, or as a symptom of viral infection can trigger sneezing.

Yawns

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The accepted explanation for this phenomenon is that yawning happens because the oxygen levels in our lungs are low. A yawn is the reflex opening of the mouth followed by the deep inhalation and slow exhalation of oxygen. Also, it is a way to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood.

Shivers

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Your body needs to keep a core temperature of about 98.6°F (36.9°C), when your temperature drops too low, skin receptors send signals to the brain, which sets into motion a series of warming tricks. Shivering is full-body muscle twitching in which your muscles contract and expand in speedy bursts. This twitching exercise produces heat, which helps to raise body temperature. When we develop a cold, the cold virus makes our temperature drop, which is why we often shiver even if we are in a warm environment. The best option to stop shivering is to put extra layers of clothes on.

Hiccups

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Everyone experiences hiccups from time to time, especially after eating too much food or drinking too much alcohol. Hiccups are caused by sudden contractions of the diaphragm; the muscle at the base of the lungs. This contraction makes your vocal cords close very briefly, which produces the sound of a hiccup. Hiccups usually disappear after a few minutes. If hiccups last for days, see your doctor. Hiccups are normal in newborns and infants.

Eye Twitches

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Eye twitching (myokymia) is an involuntary eyelid muscle contraction that usually affects the lower eyelid. Its exact cause is still unknown but eye twitching develops due to the following reasons: lack of sleep, stress, lack of sleep or eye strain. Twitching has also been associated with high caffeine intake, bright lights, fatigue, watching too much TV, and staring at the computer all day. An eyelid twitch is usually a sign that you need to take a break and relax.

Scratches

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When our body loses its moisture due to environment related things or over-washing, our skin becomes dry and strip of its natural oils. Itching is usually caused by the release of histamine, a chemical with many functions in the body, whether as a result of bites, allergy, irritation or disease. By means of neural pathways, the sensation is transmitted to the brain. Face or body lotion should be able to keep these types of itches under control; also look for body washes and soaps labeled “moisturizing.”

Face Blushes

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Scientifically, blushing begins with an emotion – usually one associated with self-consciousness. When you’re embarrassed or ashamed, an involuntary reaction of our nervous system causes the blood vessels in our face to dilate. This allows more blood to flow to the skin, resulting in a color that ranges from light pink to dark red.

Goosebumps

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Goosebumps are caused by tightening muscles which pull body hair into an erect position. This condition wherein tiny bumps covers your skin starts with a stimulus such as cold or fear. Goosebumps occur when the arrector pili, a tiny muscle that connects the hair follicle with skin, contracts and makes the hair stand on end. They are common on the arms and legs, but goose bumps can technically appear anywhere, including on the face, scalp, and chest.

Charley Horses

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Charley horse, also called a leg cramp, is due to a painful contraction of one of the leg muscles (usually the thigh or calf muscles). These abrupt, painful muscle spasms can be blamed on several things, including sore muscles, dehydration  a mineral deficiency or hormonal imbalance. Spasms can occur more at night, sometimes because the leg is stretched out, essentially encouraging the spasm. To avoid getting legs cramps, be sure to increase fluid intake when working out. However, if you experience this type of cramping, treat it with a good stretch, massage the muscles and walk around to help relieve the pain.

Eyes Blink

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Our eyes are kept clean and moist by the tears. Blinking automatically supplies two forms of moisture to our eyes, making sure that it is always wet and to keep foreign matter from entering and irritating our eyes. Blinking  lasts only a tenth of a second, but that’s all the time needed to clear away dust particles and spread lubricating fluids across the eyeball.

Stomach Rumbles

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Borborygmi is the rumbling sound produced by the movement of gas through the intestines of animals. Everyone’s stomach makes noise during digestion, but when there is incomplete digestion of food, your stomach rumbles because  there is excess gas in the intestine. However, rumbles will mostly happen if you have an empty stomach or you’re hungry. If you have extra-loud rumbles, a teaspoon of olive oil or a cup of herbal tea with lemon may help ease them.

Ear Ringing

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Ringing in the ears, or tinnitus can be very bothersome. There are two types of tinnitus and several suggested causes. One type is the chronic tinnitus, where a person experiences ringing and ear noises on a daily basis; the other type is the acute tinnitus, where an individual will likely only hear strange noises in the ears and head if there is fluid or an infection in your middle ear.

Seeing Stars

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Seeing stars is cause by lack of oxygen due to a lack of blood reaching the brain. Most commonly this happens if you stand too quickly, straightening after bending over or suffer a blow to the head. The stars you see are actually neurons in your visual cortex misfiring, a hallucination at the lowest possible level. Generally these tiny flashes of light will fade in a few seconds,  however if this sensation lasts more than a few moments better consult a doctor.

Ear Popping

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Ear popping is caused by pressure differences between the inside and outside of the eardrum. Air pressure in the middle ear usually is the same as the air pressure outside the body. The Eustachian tube in your inner ear is responsible for maintaining equal pressure on both sides of your eardrum. Sometimes when you are driving a car in the mountains, when riding an elevator in an extra-tall building or flying in a plane, your ears ‘pop’—the Eustachian tube opens to release pressure, and you hear a pop. The Eustachian tube can be blocked, or obstructed, for different reasons. When that happens, pressure in the middle ear cannot be equalized. The most common cause for a blocked Eustachian tube is the common cold. Sinus infections and nasal allergies are also causes. To force the tube open (and “pop” your ears), squeeze your nostrils closed while exhaling forcefully through your nose.

Limbs Falling Asleep

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Normally, you feel this familiar sensation when there’s constant pressure on part of your body — like when you sit on your feet, or rest your head on an arm. Your extremity will begin to “fall asleep” when you apply this pressure for an extended period of time. The pressure squeezes nerve pathways causing them to loose their electrochemical connection with the brain. This pressure can also squeeze arteries, stopping them from carrying nutrients to body cells. Without these nutrients, the nerve cells may behave abnormally that can further obstruct with communicating bodily sensations. To prevent a case of pins and needles, avoid sitting or lying in positions that compress your nerves. If the situation occurs, do move your foot, stretch your legs, or roll over off your arm, the nerve impulses begin to flow properly again.

Bad Breath in the Mornings

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Almost everybody wakes up with bad breath.  The flow of saliva slows down during sleep thus allowing the anaerobic bacteria to thrive. The unpleasant smell comes from the waste product of this process often contains sulphur, a mineral  that has a foul scent. No matter how hygienic you are, these bacteria will always come back.

Burps

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A burp is nothing but gas. When we eat or drink, we also take air into our stomachs. When there is too much air to fit into our stomachs, we have no choice but to let it out ~ resulting in a burp. Carbonated drinks such as beer, soft drinks or champagne makes us burp more as these drinks contain extra gas. Sometimes, you may eat too fast, taking more amount of air inside and that too can make you burp.

Farts

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Fart is the gas that you pass from your intestine through your anus. There are many sources for the gas we expel when we fart: when we eat, we swallow air, gas produced during digestion or even bacteria living in our digestive systems. The gas we expel is made up of a number of different gases. Surprisingly it is not the methane that produces the horrible smell we all are familiar with. The odor comes from hydrogen sulfide gas and mercaptans. Both of these compounds contain sulfur. The more sulfur in your food the smellier your farts will be.

Vomits

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Well, everyone vomits sometime or the other in their life. A vomit is throwing up your stomach contents outside from your mouth. Vomit consists of half digested food or liquid that is mixed with your digestive juice that exits through your mouth. Vomiting may be due to a large number of causes,can but the commonest cause is infection. Some germs may enter your stomach along with the food that you eating. These germs then cause your stomach to push the food up rather than down and you land up vomiting. Sometimes, vomiting can occur due to overeating or even eating the wrong combination of food. Thus, anything that upsets the stomach may cause vomiting.