How Do the Adrenal Glands Handle Stress?
The adrenal glands function in the body to help handle stress. They act as our body?s ?shock-absorbers.? When the body encounters stress or has low blood sugar, the adrenal glands release the hormone adrenaline into the blood. This hormone immediately increases blood pressure, stimulates the heart, and relaxes the muscles in the lungs. Adrenaline is ideally supposed to be released in situations where fight or flight decisions are being made. In modern society, however, high stress levels cause adrenaline to constantly circulate in the body. This can contribute to nervousness, anxiousness, and insomnia. Exercise, dance, walking, and high-energy work help diminish the levels of adrenaline in the blood. Increased levels of these hormones and their metabolites, and other stress-related chemicals left circulating in the blood awaiting removal, can leave a person feeling anxious, irritable, tense, and nervous. 4.
