# Suppressing Gag Reflex by Smiling?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressing-gag-reflex-by-smiling/164051>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 25, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressing-gag-reflex-by-smiling/164051 "2003-03-25T16:42:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressing-gag-reflex-by-smiling/164051/1 "2003-03-25T16:42:23Z")

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This springs from a [current thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=172326) in Cafe Society concerning C.S.I. On a recent episode (not so recent, really, but this season), one of the C.S.I.s had to retrive a boxer’s spit bucket from the ring. Another investigator commented on the broad smile plastered across her face while performing such an unseemly task, and she claimed smiling suppressed the gag reflex. Is this true (television science being spotty at best)? If so, how does it work?

I tried searching for an answer myself but Googling “gag reflex” and “smiling” opens up a whole world of weird.

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**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressing-gag-reflex-by-smiling/164051/2 "2003-03-25T16:44:36Z")

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It works for me, my dad taght me that when I was a kid.

come to think of it, he used to be a deputy coroner for Ramsey County. I never connected to two before.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressing-gag-reflex-by-smiling/164051/3 "2003-03-25T16:46:07Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Judith Prietht \*  
> I tried searching for an answer myself but Googling “gag reflex” and “smiling” opens up a whole world of weird.

No nearly as weird as “gag reflex” and “dad.” :eek:

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**Author:** ![Tal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tal)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressing-gag-reflex-by-smiling/164051/4 "2003-03-26T16:21:18Z")

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I’d be curious about this too…i have an overactive gag reflex…i’ll have to try it next time i have a problem

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**Author:** ![Tal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/54ee81/32.png) [@Tal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tal)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suppressing-gag-reflex-by-smiling/164051/5 "2003-03-26T16:27:32Z")

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I’d be curious about this too…i have an overactive gag reflex…i’ll have to try it next time i have a problem