Adrenaline: Fight or Flight Hormone

When a person feels extreme emotions the body’s response is the release of adrenaline. The heart starts to race, the hands start to sweat, and you want to escape, which is that fight-or-flight mode. Another name for adrenaline is epinephrine. This hormone lives in the central nervous system and is produced by the medulla in the adrenal glands. These glands are found on top of the kidneys. The pituitary gland controls the adrenal glands. Our brain receives emotional information and sends it to the amygdala. Here, the emotional state is processed. When a stressful situation arises, adrenaline is released into the blood, which then sends signals to the organs to respond. Adrenaline binds to the receptor cells of the lungs, and the person starts to breathe faster.

The response that adrenaline creates, fight-or-flight, causes air passages to dilate in order for the muscles to receive adequate oxygen in case the body needs to fight or flee. At the same time, the blood vessels contract in order to redirect the blood towards the major muscles that might be involved, particularly the heart and lungs. The body also becomes Superman and can almost feel no pain during this time. This is why a person who hasn’t ran in years can suddenly run when threatened by danger. During this stressful time, the body also increases in strength and performance.

Adrenaline is a weapon for survival. However, there are times when the body can release adrenaline during unnecessary times. A person might feel stressed, but that doesn’t mean there is real danger near. When this happens, glucose levels rise, and a person can become restless and irritable with all this pent-up energy. Feeling dizzy, light-headed, headaches can also occur. High levels of unnecessary adrenaline can lead to insomnia, heart damage, feeling nervous as well as jittery. Having too little adrenaline is usually rare.

The body does not need constant and chronic stress. The reaction of adrenaline can happen so fast that a person doesn’t even realize it. Some people even seek adrenaline rushes by taking part in skydiving, ziplining, watching scary movies, or bungee jumping. For those people who seek adrenaline rushes, the nighttime can take care of that situation for them. Adrenaline likes to surface when a person is laying down at night and thinking about what is going to happen tomorrow. This worry and anxiety can make a person feel restless. Certain noises can stir up adrenaline.

It is important to stop and breathe and take a moment when this unwanted rush starts to happen. This can be done with breathing techniques or meditation, or merely practicing self-awareness. Adrenaline isn’t all bad, in fact a person might not be able to jump out of the way of an oncoming car if it weren’t for this hormone. We don’t always have to fight-or-flee, rather, we can just breathe and be in the moment.

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056281/

https://www.healthline.com/health/adrenaline-rush

https://www.healthline.com/health/epinephrine-vs-norepinephrine

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2858344/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037