.png "‘Gleeking’ is a bizarre bodily function most people can do but don’t realize 1")
Did anyone else first assume this had something to do with the hit TV show Glee?
I know it ended 10 years ago, but there’s some crazy trends out there… and this is one of them.
There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of the word ‘gleeking’, but you might have actually done it. Well, it’s a bizarre bodily function that has gone viral in recent months, but what it actually is might disturb you.
What is ‘gleeking’?
This new trend is pretty gross – it focuses around the act of shooting saliva out from under your tongue.
Typically, ‘gleeking’ can happen when you’re yawning, making for some rather awkward encounters with your colleagues before your first coffee in the morning.
How can you become a ‘gleeker’?
@therealtiktokdoc @Sky! The master Gleeker 👅 #gleeking #brownsanatomy
You can actually train your tongue to apply pressure to your salivary glands to become the ultimate ‘gleeking’ machine.
It’s importnat to note that only 35 percent of the population have reported that they are able to shoot spit from under their tongue, and even less can do it on command.
One viral TikTok explained how one percent of the human population can apparently gleek on demand.
However, a medical expert says that ‘everyone’ should be able to take part in the trend with some hard work and training.
The science behind ‘gleeking’
Basically, there are three pairs of major saliva glands in your mouth, which are surrounded by thousands of smaller ones.
Two of the major ones are located at the bottom of the mouth, known as the submandibular and sublingual glands. Well, when you’re eating, these glands start pushing out saliva, with any excess typically draining through ducts under the tongue.
However, this can sometimes build up and the pressure on the glands from your tongue causes it to squirt out.
This is know as ‘gleeking’ – a moment where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry as salvia jets out your mouth. While it may be gross, there are apparently measures you can take to increase your chances of actually being able to gleek.
Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD, dean of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, told health.com: “If you tense the muscles in the tongue right, it squeezes the duct and saliva squirts right out.”
The expert went on to say ‘everyone can do this’, but it will likely take some time before you are able to master it.
I mean, if you don’t have any weekend plans, then maybe it’s worth a go?
