Eli5: what’s happening, and what’s it called, when you hold your breath, squeeze your head/face, resulting in turning red and veins popping out… like that meme?

Question

Biologically speaking, what’s happening? Is there a name for this? And surely I creates some health risks, right?

In: 3

Answer 1

You are “manually” increasing your blood pressure by squeezing your muscles around your body’s blood reservoirs. Blood vessels, veins, capillaries are all stretchy tubes, so when the pressure in them goes up, they swell/bulge and “pop out”, and you go red (from the capillaries just under your skin also swelling larger).

And no, it’s not good for you. Could burst an aneurysm for example.