Acupressure has been used for thousands of years as part of Chinese medicine treatments. Instead of utilizing needles, a Chinese medicine practitioner will use her fingers or a special instrument to press specific points on the body that may help...
When your nervous system is reacting to stress, certain herbs can help calm you down. The sympathetic nervous system causes the "fight-or-flight" response in the body, to mobilize you to deal with stressors. The heart pounds, palms sweat,...
Involuntary processes in your body such as heart rate and blood pressure are controlled by a segment of your nervous system called the autonomic nervous system. One part of the autonomic system, called the sympathetic nervous system, controls your...
Real or perceived dangers can increase blood pressure by triggering the body's "flight-or-fight" response. Immediately after the sense of danger abates, the sympathetic nervous system, or SNS, reduces the blood and oxygen surge needed for defense...
Caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant in the world. Caffeine increases your alertness by increasing the active levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Additionally, caffeine increases the activation of the sympathetic nervous system,...
An anxiety attack is a physiological response of the sympathetic nervous system, which produces the fast-acting neurotransmitter adrenaline. Adrenaline creates the signs of an anxiety attack, including rapid heart rate, feeling dizzy and shortness...
Albuterol is a short-acting beta-adrenergic receptor agonist that is used to prevent bronchospasms and asthma. It is also used to treat breathing difficulties, chest tightness and wheezing. This bronchodilator works by opening and relaxing the air...
Even just thinking about exercise can increase your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. It's clear that there must be more than just movement that works to increase the metabolic activity going on inside your body. The brain is the...
Rhinitis refers to the inflammation and irritation of the mucous secreting tissues in and behind the nose. Symptoms associated with rhinitis are a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, itching watery eyes and post nasal drip. Rhinitis can be...
Diet pills help you to lose weight without having to go through extensive exercising and dieting. Most of the bad effects of using diet pills come from using them for long periods. Doctors always prescribe diet pills for no longer than six months...
Beta blockers work by preventing the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine from bonding with the adrenoceptors in the brain, heart, muscle tissues, eyes and vascular system. The hormones are a function of the body's sympathetic nervous...
Your body's reaction to fear, stress, excitement and anxiety is a result of the instinctive fight-or-flight response. Our bodies involuntarily react to dangerous situations through the sympathetic nervous system. Several responses in various parts...
Heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. As symptoms of heart problems are showing up in younger and younger age groups, it is important to be aware of heart-related symptoms and which foods or beverages can affect the...
Caffeine is a chemical found in several different foods products. You may ingest it in coffee, energy drinks, chocolate, over-the-counter drugs, frozen desserts, soft drinks or tea. Caffeine has several different effects on the body, including...
Using energy is the only way that your muscles can contract to produce movements. Long-term, sustainable energy production needs oxygen. The vessels inside your body innervate every muscle, both smooth and skeletal. However, during exercise the...
The cardiac, or heart, muscle pumps blood through the body, where it follows a cycle. Pulmonary arteries branching out from the heart take blood to the lungs, where it is oxygenated. From there, the blood travels through arteries throughout the...
Deep breathing relieves stress and anxiety due to its physiological effect on the nervous system. Breathing slowly and mindfully activates the hypothalamus, connected to the pituitary gland in the brain, to send out neurohormones that inhibit...
Digoxin is a medication used to control heart rate and rhythm. Digoxin works by slowing down the conduction system of the heart, which decreases and stabilizes the heart rate and helps the heart beat stronger. Digoxin is used to treat congestive...
On a hot day or following vigorous physical activity, the body cools itself by excessive sweating. Excessive sweating, including under the arms, not triggered by heat or activity describes focal hyperhidrosis .Statistics from Medline Plus show...
Adrenaline is another word for the hormone epinephrine, part of the brain's response to exercise. Epinephrine has an effect on your body to increase the cardiorespiratory activity that facilitates exercise. It also has an affect on your metabolism...
Fear is more than just an unpleasant emotion. It is a powerful stimulator that catalyzes a total physiological response in the body coordinated by a primitive part of your brain called the amygdala. Your ability to experience fear, along with...
Obesity is an epidemic in the United States, with approximately one out of three of Americans with a body mass index greater than 30, which indicates obesity. The complications of obesity include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and...
The evaporation of sweating from the skin's surface cools the body to maintain a normal body temperature. Nerves of the sympathetic nervous system control the output of sweat glands to regulate how much sweat they produce. Eccrine glands, found...
The heart has to beat continuously in order to sustain life, but the rate at which it beats varies throughout life and under different circumstances. Many different situations require a faster--or slower--heartbeat, and as such, many different...
A common symptom in patients suffering from irritability is increased sweating. There is a strong link between chronic stress levels and amount of sweating. Sweating can be seen as a sign that the sympathetic nervous system is amped up, which...
The brain is the command center for the body, especially during times of stress such as exercise. Mechanisms throughout your body are set up to provide feedback to the brain so that adjustments can be made through the autonomic nervous systems....
The heart pumps oxygen rich blood to the body. Therefore, when the body's need for oxygen changes, the heart rate changes. A normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute and can be measured by palpating peripheral pulses, using a heart rate...
Glaucoma, according to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, is an umbrella term that encompasses more than one eye disease. The characteristic common to all of the subcategories of glaucoma is optic nerve damage. This nerve carries...
Beta blockers such as atenolol, carvidolol and metoprolol are commonly used drugs in the treatment of high blood pressure and heart disease. These medications decrease sympathetic nervous system stimulation thereby lowering the blood pressure and...
Yoga can help reduce stress and calm the body. Learn about yoga poses in this video yoga lesson.
Neuroblastoma is a rare cancer found most commonly in young children to babies that develops on the nerve cells in certain parts of the body and the sympathetic nervous system. Watch this video for more information on this condition and how to...
The NADA protocol is an acupuncture ear treatment method that is effective with treating addiction. Learn more about ear treatments and acupuncture from our medical expert in this free video.
Help yourself quit smoking with acupuncture like many other people have. Learn how to quit smoking with acupuncture in this video.
