How To Get Rid Of Your Gag Reflex

Why would you want to do that, you might wonder?

Well, a proper Covid-19 test involves a swab up the nose and to the back of the throat for a good while, so you might find yourself gagging a bit as you get that tickly swab swishing around your tonsils, right?

Of course, some people out there will immediately have jumped to the other thing that people associate with the gag reflex, but we're going to keep our heads out of the gutter here, and just explain how you can achieve this unusual feat.

Full disclosure, it's not definite whether this actually works, but you might as well give it a go and see what happens.

Here's the first part of the technique. Credit: TikTok/@gemmalawson57

There is a bit of evidence to suggest it might work, but let's come to that after we've told you what you need to do.

The audio in the video - accompanied by a woman performing the trick - states: "Today, I'm going to show you how to get rid of your gag reflex.

"OK guys, so get your left hand and put your thumb in a fist.

"Squeeze as hard as you can, and after five seconds get your right index finger and press it on your chin.

"Now count to five."

Then this... Credit: TikTok/@gemmalawson57

"OK, now get your right thumb and right index finger and squeeze between the skin between your left thumb and your left index finger.

"Squeeze it for five seconds.

"OK, now you've got rid of your gag reflexes, thank me later."

Sure enough, the woman in the video managed to shove her fingers down her throat without gagging whatsoever.

So, let's get to that evidence we were discussing before.

Apparently the technique is a piece of acupressure, a traditional Chinese method of pressing on specific parts of the body in order to relieve stress, pain, or illness.

It would seem that stretches to being able to suppress the gag reflex, too.

Finally, voila! Credit: TikTok/@gemmalawson57

An article on Healthline states that a study from 2008 - helpfully entitled 'Altering the Gag Reflex Via a Palm Pressure Point' - gave a similar method to suppressing the gag reflex.

So, there you have it. A short piece of acupressure could assist you in suppressing your gag reflex for your next Covid test, or - you know - whatever other purpose you can find for such knowledge.