Has it ever so happened to you that no matter what you eat or drink, it becomes a difficult piece of work to swallow the content?
That is because of the gag reflex.
When the body feels that some foreign content is being pushed down the throat, it triggers the two oval-shaped paddings at the back of the throat called tonsils.
These two tonsils, named larynx and pharynx suffer from inflammation which makes it hard for the person to swallow anything.
The gag reflex is common among children under age 4. This is why you must have noticed that children have a hard time swallowing pills.
What is the gag reflex?Â
Gagging simply means that your body is resisting swallowing. This reflex happens only in certain conditions when the body is alarmed by a foreign content being ingested.
A visit to the dentist can trigger your gag reflex. However, recent researches have found that stress, anxiety, acid reflux, and allergy to certain foods can also lead to gagging.
It is a common neuromuscular action that happens once in a while. The gag reflex is not an issue unless your throat is overly sensitive and often suffers from it.
How can you stop gag reflex with acupressure?
You must have heard of acupuncture. It is a bodywork therapy that works by pressing needles in your body at certain points.
Acupressure is no different from acupuncture except that anyone can do you don’t need needles boring in your body.
You do not license or professional skills to use acupressure on your body. You only need to know the acupoint that will sedate the inflammation in the tonsils.
When you feel that a wave of gag reflex is about to hit your throat then you can put your left thumb under your left hand, folding it in a fist. Then press the thumb with your fingers as hard as you can.
Stop putting the pressure if it begins to hurt.
Doing this puts pressure on an acupoint between the thumb and your index finger that relaxes the inflammation.
This acupressure can have an effect for 30 seconds on your throat and will help you get rid of the unpleasantness of the gag reflex.
If you think that this method is not working for you then you can use your right thumb and index finger to massage the muscle between the thumb and index finger of your left hand.
When you massage the muscle between your fingers, it induces the glands and releases natural pain relievers such as serotonin and endorphin.
Also Read: 10 Exercises to Tone Every Inch of Your Body
Can you stop gag reflex with acupressure?
Acupressure is used to treat different types of diseases and medical conditions. People who suffer from nausea often turn to acupressure to get relief.
The gag reflex is another such medical condition that widely depends on acupressure to relieve.
A quarter of the world population prefers acupressure to aspirin.
Taking tranquilizers every time you suffer from gag reflex affects your body. It also becomes ineffective with the passing time because your body adapts to the drugs.
Therefore, it is a better option to choose physical therapy than medicine.
Why should you use acupressure?
Acupressure is a century-old Asian Bodywork Therapy. It has been used in ancient Chinese medicine to heal several types of diseases.
People still believe in the effectiveness of using acupressure as a home remedy for minor diseases.
The professionals believe that there are numbers of acupoint or meridian in your body that connects to some organ or another.
These meridians are pathways of energy that flows in the body. Ancient records suggest that the flow of energy is disrupted or blocked causes a health condition or unrest in the body.
Then, you massage these points, it helps the organ connected to that point to relax and helps you get relief.
The professionals use their fingers, palm, elbow, and sometimes feet to put pressure on the acupoint. This releases a sedating effect.
These acupoints can be located anywhere in your fingers, in between the fingers, ankle, or back.
Acupressure is also used to treat nausea caused after chemotherapy and has proven to be a useful therapy in dealing with cancer.
The bodywork does not only help fight illness or medical conditions but also, helps to calm down the nerve and release stress or anxiety which has a direct connection with a gag reflex or sore throat.
Acupressure is not scientifically proven bodywork therapy, but literary research suggests that people have assured the effectiveness of using this therapy.
Are there any side effects?
Acupressure is physical therapy, and therefore it does not have any serious side effects on the body.
However, you might feel a little light-headed or soreness in the pressurized part of the body. But this should be temporary.
Do not put too much pressure on the acupoints. If you are in a session and receiving professional therapy, you should let the therapist know if they are causing you pain.
Acupressure is a painless therapy. It does need to press and massage the acupoints, but it should not be painful.
If the acupoint is wounded or bruised before commencing the therapy, you should not perform Acupressure on that point. Otherwise, it can lead to pain or intense bruising.
If you have serious health conditions such as cancer, blood pressure issue, heart disease, or easy bruising and bleeding, you should avoid using acupressure therapy.
You should use acupressure only when you know about it. Though you don’t need to be a professional to treat gag reflex or nausea by using this therapy, you should still be cautious of not hurting yourself.
The bottom line
Acupressure is an ancient form of bodywork therapy that has effectively treated gag reflux over the centuries.
It is a trusted therapy used by a quarter of the world population.
It has been included not only in traditional Chinese therapy but also in Japanese bodywork therapy.
Acupressure works by stimulating glands and organs connected to acupoints.
Therefore, it is an effective and safe home remedy to get relief from the unpleasant effects of the gag reflex.
