Sympathetic Nervous System Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Sympathetic Nervous System?
The sympathetic nervous system is an important component of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary body functions like heart rate and digestion. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for preparing the body to respond to stressful situations by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and releasing hormones such as adrenaline. It works in tandem with the parasympathetic nervous system to maintain homeostasis. The sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system originates from a cluster of neurons (or nerve cells) located in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord known as the sympathetic ganglia . When stimulated, these neurons prompt release of neurotransmitters that trigger physiological changes throughout the body. The most common neurotransmitter released by this pathway is norepinephrine, which causes increases in heart rate and blood pressure along with other physical responses such as pupil dilation and increased sweating.During moments of fear or stress when you might need to quickly spring into action your sympathetic nerves fire up to ready your body for fight-or-flight mode. While this response can be beneficial in emergencies, it can also have negative effects on health if activated too often or left unchecked over time due to chronic stressors. Prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system has been linked with conditions like hypertension, anxiety disorders, depression and insomnia among others. Fortunately there are ways to manage this reaction through lifestyle changes like exercise, adequate sleep habits and relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation that help reduce stress levels overall while calming down an overactive sympathetic response at any given moment during times of distress. By learning how to recognize when our bodies are under duress we can use these practices strategically whenever needed allowing us more control over our internal environment rather than letting external events dictate how we feel inside.