Adrenaline is a concept derived from adrenaline, a word from the English language. The etymological root, however, comes from the Latin: ad (which can be translated as “next to”) and renalis (which is translated “renal”).
Defined by Digopaul, adrenaline is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. The substance has the ability to constrict blood vessels, dilate the airways, and increase the heart rate.
The body secretes adrenaline when it feels threatened or in danger. This process constitutes a physiological response to various situations, which prepare the individual to flee from the risk or to fight against the one or that that threatens him.
This hormone can be used to treat various health problems. If a person suffers from cardiac arrest, they may be injected with adrenaline. Also in cases of sepsis and anaphylaxis. Adrenaline, however, can cause negative reactions, such as arrhythmia, hypertension, and tremors.
One of the health disorders in which this concept appears is panic attack, a condition characterized by the entry into the bloodstream of an excess of adrenaline. The adrenal glands, which contain adrenaline, receive a message indicating the presence of an emergency situation. The way the body responds to fear when a panic attack occurs is often mistaken for symptoms of other problems, such as heart attacks, and a misinterpretation can only make matters worse.
During a panic attack, adrenaline causes the heart to pump a higher amount of blood than normal, and the major muscles receive it to increase our strength and give us the opportunity to run at high speed, to defend ourselves and flee of the danger focus. This increase in the bloodstream also takes place in the brain, to respond more efficiently to the external situation.
It is estimated that from the time the brain sends the emergency signal until the leg and arm muscles receive this increase in adrenaline and blood, it takes approximately three minutes. Some experts say that it is enough to follow four simple steps to stop panic attacks as soon as they start, so that in a few minutes the body relaxes and the levels mentioned above normalize: relax; reject negative thoughts; repeat phrases that calm us; accept your own emotions.
Outside the field of science, this term is part of various expressions and is used without much rigor. For example, there is an idea that dogs can smell adrenaline, and that therefore they are able to perceive our fear, something that worries especially those who do not have an affinity for these animals.
However, certain scientists believe that dogs cannot smell adrenaline, or rather detect its increase in our body, but they warn us of our fear through the smell of perspiration from our skin, due to the action of hormones.
In colloquial language, it is called adrenaline to feel that you have a person when performing a risky activity: “I like to practice rafting and I feel a great adrenaline”, “Giving a concert before a hundred thousand people causes me a huge adrenaline”, “I decided to return to motorsport as I missed the adrenaline rush of driving at a speed of over three hundred kilometers per hour. ”
Finally, it should be noted that some music bands, albums, movies and television series have the term adrenaline as a name or title. “Adrenalina”, for example, is the title in Spanish of a 1996 film that featured the leading role of Christopher Lambert.
