Showing posts with label acute stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acute stress. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
The body's response to stress
Sunday, 10 March 2013
The body's response to acute stress
Acute stress is stress caused by a sudden or short-term stressor. The body responds to this when the SNS releases adrenaline into the bloodstream. Adrenaline causes several changes to the body such as:
- Dilated pupils: Allows more light into the eye to aid vision
- Increased heart rate: Increased blood flow to skeletal muscles
- Bronchial tubes dilate: Increased oxygen intake
- Glycogen stored in liver converted into glucose: Provides more energy
these physical changes would have been a survival advantage when a mammal faced immediate danger.
Here is a basic summary of what steps the body takes in order to produce adrenaline and enable these bodily responses to take place:
ANS: Autonomic Nervous System
SNS: Sympathetic Nervous System (Prepares the body for the 'fight or flight' response)
PNS: Parasympathetic Nervous System (Stimulates the 'rest and digest' response)
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