Trump's Interuptions and Heavy Breathing

By Arthur M. Strauss, DDS

The human body is fully connected and integrated through our anatomic system, nervous system, biochemical system, physiologic system and even energetic system.

And most important

Design function of the body is to keep us alive.

The most immediate threat of death is cutting off the oxygen supply.

First threat is blockage of the airway.

The body reaction to a threat is the “fight or flight” or “stress” response.

Scientists associate stress with these “stress” hormones being in circulation.

When this occurs, fibers in blood vessels and muscles are stimulated to increase muscle tone and activity that delivers oxygen and nutrients to the cells to facilitate the fight or flight reaction as classically observed in the “lion chasing the gazelle”.

Rapid shallow breathing moves air more efficiently through the lungs and increased heart rate pumps it through the system and increased blood pressure through constriction of blood vessels, increases the speed of blood to the cells.

Muscle tone is increased, especially where required to end the threat.

The heart pounding from residual stress hormones is noticeable.

The human airway has a tube leading to the lungs that is not separate from that leading to the stomach. They intersect in the throat (pharynx) where the nasal-pharynx and oral-pharynx merge. The tongue of the feeding tube becomes the movable/flexible front wall of the throat, capable of blocking the airway.

That is commonly referred to as choking. While asleep “relaxation” causes an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) event. While awake, distractions cause awake type of apnea events resulting in stressful sensations.

Since blockage of the throat is the culprit and the tongue moves within the throat when we speak, one can see that some individuals crowd their throat when speaking and others by remaining silent. Since a crowded throat leads to the stress response, in avoiding the threat, talkative people will talk more and non-talkers will remain silent.

During the presidential election debates Donald Trump's reactions to Hillary Clinton's stress inducing statements, a compulsion to interject and heavy, labored breathing clue us into the anatomy of his throat and why he is a loquacious type of person.

Perhaps, this year you can better empathize with people who talk too much or not enough. It's just our anatomy and how we are surviving.