According to a study published in the journal NeuroReport, swearing as a reflex when you accidently hurt yourself actually makes it easier to bear the pain.

Researchers from the school of psychology at Britain's Keele University said swearing can make you feel better as it can have a "pain-lessening effect."

Richard Stephens of Keele University in England and one of the authors of the new study said, "Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon. It taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. Our research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists."

Stephens with colleagues John Atkins and Andrew Kingston undertook a test to see how swearing affected an individual’s pain tolerance. The researchers studied 64 undergraduate volunteers who were asked to submerge their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice.

The experiment was repeated using a more commonplace word that they would use to describe a table. In contradiction of the researchers expectations the volunteers kept their hands submerged longer while repeating the swear word as compared to the regular word.

The increase in pain tolerance, the researchers said occurs because swearing triggers the body's natural "fight-or-flight" response. "Our research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists," Stephens said.

They added that that swearing may increase aggression which downplays weakness to appear stronger or more macho.

"What is clear is that swearing triggers not only an emotional response, but a physical one too, which may explain why the centuries-old practice of cursing developed and still persists today," Stephens said.

The results of the study are detailed in the Aug. 5 issue of the journal NeuroReport.