The nervous system consists of three main nerve types. Sensory nerves supply humans with the ability to see, hear, smell, taste and feel. Motor nerves enable the brain to command the muscles of the body. Autonomic nerves regulate the function of...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
When the body is injured, signals are sent from the site of damage to the spinal cord. As a central command center, the nervous system regulates the body's response to the pain through a variety of reflexes. For instance, if you are experiencing...
The pupil's size is determined by a balance between the input from the two parts of the autonomic nervous system --- sympathetic and parasympathetic. Sympathetic nerves release adrenaline, which causes the pupil to expand. Parasympathetic nerves...
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,...
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is a serious and chronic pain syndrome that typically affects the hands, legs and arms. Burning, swelling and stiffness are just a few characteristics of this...
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...
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...
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy, also called RSD or complex regional pain syndrome, causes chronic intense pain, skin sensitivity, stiffness and disability, according to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders...
Your body is designed to adapt to its environment. During exercise, major changes occur in the activity and function of muscle cells. This adaptation occurs in multiple types of muscle and is important in your body's preparation for a good workout.
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...
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...
Your nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord and nerves. The autonomic, or involuntary, aspect of your nervous system has a sympathetic division responsible for "fight or flight" and a parasympathetic division that helps your body rest and...
The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy states that anxiety disorders are more common than any other class of psychiatric disorder, but are among those that often go untreated because the patient and/or physician fails to recognize it. Anxiety...
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...
When you run, your heart rate increases for a variety of reasons, including an increase in oxygen consumption by exercising muscle, an increase in heat and an increase in volume loss from your circulatory system by way of sweating. However, the...
Your body undergoes physiologic changes during exercise so that your working muscles receive enough oxygenated blood to sustain strenuous activity. The blood vessels will either widen to allow greater flow to a specific area or narrow to redirect...
Your heartbeat is the regular, pulsing sensation in your arteries that occurs when your heart contracts and rests. Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats each minute. Several nerves influence your heart rate and heartbeat, with...
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...
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...
Maintaining optimal body weight requires a long-term commitment to managing food portions and making healthful food choices. In the age of "quick fixes," however, consumers readily fall prey to pills, potions and gimmicks claiming to drive down...
High fat diets can be a source of imbalance in the autonomic nervous system, or ANS. This happens through direct impact on ANS-related functions such as neurotransmitters -- and indirectly by promoting obesity which itself is disruptive to ANS...
As one of the hardest-working muscles in the body, your heart beats thanks to a complex system of nerves, cells, biochemicals and minerals. Acetylcholine, a biochemical, plays a large role in maintaining your heart's rhythm when you are at rest....
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...
Yoga can help reduce stress and calm the body. Learn about yoga poses in this video yoga lesson.
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.
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...
Help yourself quit smoking with acupuncture like many other people have. Learn how to quit smoking with acupuncture in this video.