The Effects of an Adrenaline Rush

Adrenaline is something we all deal with on a daily business, but its causes are unknown to the general population. Here are some of the details about this supercharged phenomenon.

The Cause

Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is a hormone and neurotransmitter that creates what is known as the fight-or-flight response in the autonomic nervous system. Epinephrine is produced by adrenal glands when stress or danger is sensed by the body. Bright lights, loud noises, sudden movements or unexpected changes in the environment may stimulate this response and trigger the sensation commonly known as an adrenaline rush.
When that rush kicks in it turns off bodily functions such as digestion and boosts oxygen and glucose to the brain---along with norepinephrine, which in turn increases blood pressure, heart rate and blood flow to muscles.

The Effects

There are real dangers to experiencing an epinephrine and, hence, adrenaline, rush, such as rapid heart beat, heart palpitations, speeding up or slowing down of heart beats, anxiety and panic attacks, tremors and shaking, fluid accumulation in the lungs and high blood pressure.

Medication and Its Dangers

Medications.com recently looked into the effects of adrenaline rushes caused by medicines such as the birth control pill Yasmin, which became pronounced when women combined the drug with exercise and vigorous activities. Women who used this pill have reported having trembling legs, fluttering hearts, the fear of having a heart attack, headaches, lightheadedness, tightness in the chest and loss of breath, among other symptoms.

Untreated Adrenaline Dysfunctions

If left untreated, repeated adrenaline attacks may lead to panic or anxiety disorders, which could develop into a larger problem, where the person may become house-bound and terrified to travel or leave certain areas for fear of having a panic attack. This is known as agoraphobia.

Getting Help

Ultimately, it is better to go to the doctor for a false alarm than to put one's life at risk for fear of seeming silly or appearing as a hypochondriac. An adrenaline rush is a serious sign of perceived danger meant to protect humans from dangers in their environment. When gone awry it can threaten lives and even cause premature death in severe causes.