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Have you ever been in a situation where you perceived it to be a threat or danger? Then, you felt an increased heart rate, heightened senses, rapid breathing, and the enhanced ability in physical movements. If that is the case, then you have experienced an adrenaline rush before. Adrenaline release is common in dangerous situations, strenuous exercise, and stress.
Adrenaline (epinephrine) is a hormone that is released majorly by the medulla of the adrenal glands and is responsible for activating the body's flight or fight response. Specifically, the adrenal medulla is the inner part of the adrenal gland which secrete hormones. The adrenal medulla releases catecholamine's such as; dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine in response to the sympathetic nervous system and initiates the flight or fight response.
How Does Adrenaline Occur?
Perceive situation as dangerous
Hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system
Brain informs the adrenal glands to start producing adrenaline
Adrenaline is released through the bloodstream
Medical Usage of Epinephrine
Epinephrine is the drug form of adrenaline and is used in medical emergencies. This medication can be used on an individual with a severe allergic reaction, overdose, and controlling severe asthmatic symptoms. Epinephrine is used to quickly improve breathing, stimulate the heart, increase blood pressure, and reduce swelling. If someone you know is having one of the issues above, you would inject epinephrine under their skin or into a muscle, and then rush that individual to the hospital. It is important to note the effects of epinephrine are very short so it is necessary to go to a hospital as soon as possible.
Other Ways to Experience an Andrenaline Rush
Horror Movies (if you get scared easily)
Bungee Jumping
Sky Diving
Roller Coasters
Fighting
REFERENCES:
Rogers, K. (2020, May 11). Epinephrine. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/epinephrine
Goldstein DS. Adrenal responses to stress. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2010;30(8):1433-1440.
Posner LS, Camargo CA Jr. Update on the usage and safety of epinephrine auto-injectors, 2017. Drug Healthc Patient Saf. 2017;9:9-18. Published 2017 Mar 21.
Thank you for an interesting read! I particularly liked how you mentioned the use of the medication and then emphasized the importance of going to the hospital as the effects of epinephrine are very short. Building on the medical usage of the epinephrine; current evidence from metanalysis of randomized controlled trials suggest use of epinephrine as the drug of choice in Anaphylaxis and acute viral bronchiolitis. (Hartling et al. 2011 & Wang et al.2017). The results of randomized controlled trial conducted by Hartling et al. in 2011, demonstrate the superiority of drug epinephrine compared to placebo for short-term outcomes for outpatients particularly in the first 24 hours of care. This research presented evidence that epinephrine is effective for outpatients in…