WebMD Countdown: 3 Crazy Yet Common Body Quirks
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SPEAKERThe human body. It's that thing you're living in. And boy, is it amazing. It thinks, it moves, it creates, it reproduces. It also does some really weird stuff.
Kicking off our countdown at number three is the involuntary eyelid twitch. It's caused by spasms or contractions of the eyelid muscle that cause the upper or lower eyelids to blink uncontrollable. Although it's often associated with fatigue, stress, caffeine, and even bright lights, the actual cause is unknown. I guess you could say twitch happens. Though it's annoying, minor eyelid switching usually resolves itself on its own. Some things that seem to help are extra sleep, limiting screen time, cutting back on caffeine, and making sure to wear shades on those sunny days. If the twitching impairs your vision or lasts longer than a week, it's time to see a doctor.
Our number two quirk is the sleeping limb. Contrary to popular belief, this is usually not due to a lack of circulation. It's the temporary compression of nerves that's the actual culprit. The signals to the spine and brain are interrupted when the nerve is pinched. Kind of like a kinked water hose, nothing can get through. When you move, you get that all-too-common pins and needles feeling. This happens because the nerves start firing away again. This is a good thing. Your body is readjusting and stopping the compression. So when in doubt, move about.
And now we've reached the number one spot on our countdown. You scream, I scream, but we all scream when we have brain freeze. This is an instant headache brought on by eating ice-cold foods or liquids too fast. When something cold hits the roof of your mouth, arteries in your brain narrow and widen rapidly. In other words, brains and cold don't mix. When your brain senses the cold, the nearby nerves fire on all cylinders, sending the pain straight to your forehead. As soon as the cold goes away, the pain subsides. But if you want to speed up recovery, drink warm water. That'll open up the artery, calm your pounding noggin, and get you ready for another go at that Chunky Monkey.
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