Respiratory Health: Symptoms

What happens when you get the wind knocked out of you?

A blow to the gut, between the belly button and the heart, can cause a temporary paralysis of the diaphragm. This happens because this punch affects an area called the solar plexus, a dense cluster of nerve cells located behind the stomach just below the diaphragm. It is also known as the celiac plexus. When the diaphragm becomes paralyzed, you can't take in any air; hence the goldfish-flopping-on-the-kitchen-table feeling.