How does gag reflex work

Lesions involving this nerve may therefore be suggested by a breathy, nasal, or hoarse voice. Cough reflex : CN X is required for the afferent pathway of this reflex Polverino Among intubated patients, this may be more reproducible than the gag reflex. Gag reflex in the certification of brain death We are legally required to confirm the absence of a gag reflex in every patient who is declared brain dead.

The gag reflex is a traditional component of the neurologic examination, but isn't evidence-based. The reproducibility of the gag reflex is poor, due to variation in the techniques used to elicit it. The gag reflex is an unreliable predictor of aspiration, because it tests only a small fraction of the nerves and muscles required to control secretions via swallowing.

The gag reflex should not be used to assess whether patients can protect their airways. The only rational use of the gag reflex appears to be certification of brain death. References for this table are as follows: Lim , Davies , Beltrani The last post on sensitivity and specificity discussed how a useless test could occasionally be rendered useful by reversing its interpretation see Footnote 3. That is essentially what has been done here. Author Recent Posts. Social Me. Josh Farkas.

Josh is the creator of PulmCrit. Latest posts by Josh Farkas see all. We may delete without a full, true name. Your Job i. Inline Feedbacks. Reply to Z S. David Covey. David Nielsen. What's Your Job? Subscribe by Email. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. However, percent of people have a hypersensitive gag reflex HGR , which continues to get activated by substances in the mouth. Most often, sufferers of HGR gag while eating sticky foods that tend to get stuck in the mouth, such as bananas and mashed potatoes; in extreme cases, oversensitive gagging can cause picky eating or even malnourishment.

The reasons why some adults gag while eating are not yet fully understood, but research shows that HGR usually happens in people who did not have solid foods introduced into their diets until after the age of 7 months. Learn about the causes of nausea and how…. The jejunum is one of three sections that make up the small intestine. Learn about its function and anatomy, as well as the conditions that can affect….

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Here's what you should know before making an appointment. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Type 2 Diabetes. About Causes How to stop Acupuncture Acupressure Desensitizing Takeaway The gag reflex, also called the pharyngeal reflex, is a contraction of the throat that happens when something touches the roof of your mouth, the back of your tongue or throat, or the area around your tonsils.

What is a gag reflex? What causes gagging? How to stop your gag reflex during common circumstances. Skip to main content Skip to table of contents. This service is more advanced with JavaScript available. Encyclopedia of Intensive Care Medicine Edition. Contents Search. Gag Reflex. Authors Authors and affiliations Denis D. Bensard Kathryn M.