A 46-year-old member asked:
why might someone involuntarily gag when they touch their external ear canal?
1 doctor answer
Dr. Larry Marcus answered
41 years experience ENT and Head and Neck Surgery
Normal: This is a normal reflex that may cause a person to cough when the inside of their ear canal is touched. There is a nerve called Jacob's nerve that is a nerve of sensation to both the ear canal and base of tongue/throat - the referred sensation is strong enough to create a cough reflex.
Answered on Feb 19, 2015
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