Extra red blood cells allow more oxygen to be carried to where we need it. Extra red blood cells are stored in the spleen and can be added into the blood circulation during times of stress - such as hypoxia, bleeding and strenuous exercise - by the action of splenic contracture. Red blood cells carry oxygen in our blood to our tissues. Interestingly, there is also a response by our spleen to breath holding underwater. Immersion of your face in cold water or breath holding can cause these effects, but they are much more pronounced if you hold your breath while also immersing your face in cold water. The vagus nerve also causes certain blood vessels to constrict (called vasoconstriction), subsequently pushing even more blood from our extremities back toward our heart and brain. Simply being immersed in water creates a hydrostatic pressure effect on the body that essentially squeezes some of the blood from our extremities back toward our heart. The vagus nerve slows down the rate at which our heart beats when it beats more slowly, it doesn’t need as much oxygen to function. The autonomic nervous system helps control things such as our heart rate and breathing without us having to think about it. The brain then activates the vagus nerve (or 10th cranial nerve), which is part of the autonomic nervous system. Immersing your face in cold water triggers the trigeminal nerve (also called the fifth cranial nerve) in your face and sends signals to the brain.
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