Wacky Facts by Agent K #4: Why Do Humans Blush? Ever Wondered?
Hello my fellow steemians,
Day four for Wacky Facts and I keep hearing all kind of bad things about the crypto-movement, but after reading a very semi-serious article titled If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them by the bizarrely funny @nonameslefttouse, I decided not to buy my daily dose of chocolate bars and invest ALL the 10 Euros I would normally spend on cholesterol and calories on steemit. Furthermore, I came up with the topic of the day. What makes us blush? Did you ever wonder? Definitely NOT chocolate.
The Foreplay
Facial blushing because of shame, embarrassment, or stress is one of the most common human reactions that cannot be controlled and usually puts people in extremely uncomfortable situations. According to experts when someone feels shame or anxiety, his body releases adrenaline, which widens the blood vessels and makes him blush. The reddening of the face makes the individual feel uncomfortable because it reveals his emotional state to a greater extent than desired.
Of course, there are cases that blushing is not the only (or most intense) reaction, but let's not analyze that now. Poor fella....Just FART!!!!
The Menu of the Day
According to a Harvard study, when someone experiences strong emotions, his body temperature rises. This status is triggered by the sympathetic nervous system, which raises the temperature of the body and releases adrenaline. This hormone acts as a natural stimulant and has an array of effects on the body that are all part of the fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline speeds up breathing and heart rate, and it slows down the digestive process so that the energy can be redirected to the muscles.
Dr. Siddhesh Sonawdekar explains,
"It also causes the blood vessels to dilate (known as vasodilation) in order to improve blood flow and oxygen delivery. This is the case with blushing. The veins in the face respond to a signal from the chemical transmitter adenylyl cyclase, which tells the veins to allow the adrenaline to do its magic. As a result, the veins in the face dilate, allowing more blood to flow through them than usual, creating the reddened appearance that tells others we are embarrassed."
I know what you're probably thinking right now....
To make a long story short, adrenaline causes more local blood flow in our cheeks. It is usually normal and leaves within a few seconds.
The Mechanism of Blushing
Regardless, it is scientifically proven that not only strong emotions can cause blushing but other reasons too. First of all, it can be genetic. According to dermatologists, people of Celtic origin and those who come from Eastern Europe have a greater tendency to blush. It is clear that pale skin is more prone to blushing.
Second, some bad habits, such as excessive exposure to the sun and smoking, have the same effect on the body. These bad habits contribute to collagen decomposition, making the blood vessels of the face appear more obvious, thus making blushing more noticeable as well. Some spicy foods or a cup of coffee can also provoke blushing. Of course, alcohol and sexual stimulation are also factors that exacerbate the problem.
Even when we exercise, sweat, and get warm our cheeks grow red. This happens because the body tries to restore the correct temperature by dilating the blood vessels. But the key difference among all these reasons is that only embarrassment causes the type of blushing that is triggered by adrenaline. To some extent, all of us blush under certain circumstances or emotional situations: when we laugh, when we get angry, when a lie is revealed, when we are ashamed, etc.
Could It Be A Medical Condition After All?
However, if the problem persists over time and seriously affects our emotional state and our ability to function socially, then the evidence may point to the psychological disorder known as erythrophobia (fear of blushing). Those who suffer from erythrophobia say that the process begins with a vague, uncomfortable feeling in the abdomen, which “rises” within seconds to the head and is manifested either by a fast redness around the face (blushing) or in some part of the face (e.g., the ear) or in a gradual flushing.
Since the individual cannot hide the redness, which the individual often expects and fears in specific situations or in all social interactions, this leads him to limit his social outings. Or again, the person can end up being a major sarcastic bastard (deep inside I admire him to be honest) like Simon Cowell, who reportedly suffers from erythrophobia....or he just fall asleep on the tanning bed before taking this photo.
The Aftermath
This behavior of avoiding various events results in the inability of the person to present himself personally and socially in the way he wants. This can lead very easily to social isolation, to social phobia, or generalized anxiety disorder.According to psychotherapists, erythrofobia can be treated by a qualified psychologist in a personalized program, at all levels of manifestation: physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral.
If this method does not work there is also the last resort of a surgery called endothoracic sympathectomy, which has been shown to limit blushing. During this procedure a portion of the sympathetic nerve trunk in the thoracic region is removed. Too much trouble for just a blushing if you ask me!
If you enjoyed what you just read, please like, resteem and follow @tkappa. In case you missed them, check out the previous wacky facts of the week:
Did you Know that the Famous Italian Pizza is Really of Greek Origin?
Why Did Einstein Stick Out His Tongue in One of the Most Iconic Photos Ever?
It will be much appreciated by the Dark Side!!!
References:
Why Do We Blush? (YouTube Video)
Why Do People Blush? (Live Science)
Ha Ha Ha Γειά σου ρε Ρουκέτα γίγαντα με τους Iron Maiden σου :)
(Δεν κάνω Like γιατί εδώ και κανά 3ωρο δίνω μόνο μηδενικά).
Checkare to VP sou (Voting Power) prospathise na min peftei katw apo 70-80%
Well I don't suffer from excess blushing, but I am certainly a loner and awkward in social situations. Do you think an endothoracic sympathectomy might be beneficial anyway in my case?
I love the sound of that. I might just do it so I could boast at social situations: "I had a sympathectomy last month. Do you want to see my scar?"
Or I could add to my profile on social media: "sympathectomy survivor"
LOL@ "I had a sympathectomy last month. Do you want to see my scar?" and "sympathectomy survivor"
This is also a good way to flirt. For some reason, women love war heroes and survivors of any kind. Especially if they are loners. Keep in mind, however, that endothoracic sympathectomy messes with our sympathetic nervous system. In other words, after a few shots of wine or ouzo you will still mercilessly blush and your "sympathectomy survivor" status will be in serious doubt by your admirers :P
Still, it just has to be better than buying a dog just so you can take it walking hoping to run into a female doing the same thing so you can discuss how "cute" the dogs are sniffing at each other :-)
Ohhhh, heck yeah! Fully agree with you on this one and I have in mind the type of dude you're talking about. They usually call their dog "chick magnet"
Exactly! No pride at all LOL
@onceuponatime, see you at Perla tomorrow at 10. Hope you don't oversleep Lord Vader he he ;)
Maybe I should stay awake all night.
Oh God, I hope you are not like me when it comes to sleep. Every time I have to fly or an important appointment etc. I get so stressed to not oversleep that I end up staying awake all night long. I went totally sleep deprived in all 41 exams in Law School. What a torture! Lol
You will be OK though...We will see you tomorrow :))))
Hahaha never had that problem, always needed blush to flush 😉!
Wooohoooooo :P lol
Interesting as always :) Keep these coming, Theo and Agent K :D
Thanks mate :)
Fantastic read..
Please check me out !!!!
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