Some complain that the cold wind catches their breath and cannot breathe in or out. This is most likely a diving reflex.
The meaning of the diving reflex is that from irritation of the face with cold water breathing stops, the heart slows down sharply, and the peripheral blood vessels are strongly spasmed.
Nature is so conceived so that when immersed in water we do not drown. Cold water irritates the sensitive trigeminal nerve in our face and inside our nose. This reflexively stops breathing, and nothing can get into the lungs.
Peripheral blood vessels spasm and blood rushes to vital organs to supply them with the remaining oxygen.
The heart slows down and beats noticeably less frequently. He does not need to drive blood with precious oxygen to distant corners of the body, so there is no point in beating too often.
It is believed that this reflex occurs not only in mammals, but in general in all vertebrates. Initially, scientists observed chickens and ducklings.
Sometimes the diving reflex plays a cruel joke on us. He is associated with that terrible syndrome of sudden infant death, when babies die in their sleep.
That is why newborns are not placed on their belly. Pressing a child's face can activate the same trigeminal nerve, and breathing can stop.
With age, the diving reflex weakens, but sometimes it is very clearly manifested in adults. It works even in cold winds. In winter, some people take their breath away.
This thing can lead to irregular heart rhythms. So it's better not to experiment with ice water once again. Young children and people with heart failure are especially vulnerable.
Have you seen such a reflex in children? Babies in the wind suddenly begin to gasp for air. Someone thinks this is funny, but creepy to me.
