The human body is an amazing machine that is so complex even after owning one for a lifetime it’s impossible to understand all that it can do. Science continues to uncover new mysteries and strange relationships, and here are a few of the more interesting tricks your body can do that might come in handy.

You can avoid needle pain next time you’re at the doctor’s office by applying pressure around the area that’s going to get stuck. Simply make a circle with your thumb and forefinger and push down for a few seconds as you’re getting the shot. This will stimulate receptors for pressure and touch and can override the pain signals.

Thwart nighttime heartburn by sleeping on your left side. Laying on your left side preserves the esophagus’s natural curve (laying on your back or right side straightens it out) and therefore will help keep stomach acid from creeping up while you sleep.

Control tears/stop crying by clearing your throat and swallowing. Next time you feel your eyes welling up at an inopportune moment clear your throat and swallow to interrupt the mechanism that controls crying, and even make it temporarily impossible to shed a tear (while swallowing your tongue is lifted to the roof of your mouth, which blocks the soft palate and the ability to cry).

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