What is an adrenaline rush? And why would anybody seek it? Adrenaline, aka epinephrine, is a hormone and neurotransmitter that prepares your body for action. This chemical is a stimulant that has a powerful effect, but only for a short period because it quickly degrades. Hence, its rush feeling reference.
Adrenaline Rush
Ever notice that tingling, flushing feeling that occurs when you’ve been momentarily unnerved without an actual need to respond. That’s an adrenaline rush.
Some seek an adrenaline rush for the increased feeling of invincibility. In some situations, suddenly feeling strong and aggressive is highly desirable. For instance, the rush of adrenaline could save your life or immensely contribute to your winning a sports competition. However, shooting too much adrenaline for too long can wear you down.
How can you naturally get an adrenaline rush? Release of adrenaline is triggered by some type of physical or mental stress. Some of the various ways you could potentially activate your ”fight or flight” rush is via fear, anger, hypoglycemia or a challenging situation. Of these, a challenging situation is likely the easiest, healthiest and keeps you out of jail or the psych ward. Albeit, certain challenges inherently include fear. Play it safe and avoid formulating a challenge that puts you at risk for a detour to an emergency room.
Adrenaline Hormone Effects
Adrenaline has a potent and immediate effect on your sympathetic nervous system. Some of this hormone’s effects are:
- raises blood sugar
- boosts metabolism
- causes goose bumps
- accelerates heart rate
- dilates bronchi & pupils
- advances blood clotting
- stimulates heart muscle
- constricts blood vessels
- increases cardiac output
- escalates blood pressure
- decreases insulin release
- speeds up glycogen breakdown to glucose for quick muscle energy
- shunts blood flow to skeletal muscles, coronary arteries, liver & brain
All these adrenaline effects help support your body to do whatever it takes to reach safety.
Because of some its effects, adrenaline is synthetically made for use as treatment. A few of its uses include stimulating the heart, treating glaucoma, preventing excessive bleeding, combined with local anesthetic for longer lasting effect, opening airways during asthma attack, relieving allergic reaction caused hives symptoms and countering deadly effects of anaphylactic shock.
Concerned you may have an adrenaline problem? Addison’s disease is a health condition that can cause your adrenaline to be under produced. Whereas, pheochromocytoma, an adrenal gland tumor, can cause this hormone to be over excreted.
