LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Your mouth is dry.
Your palms are sweating.
You feel your heart beating harder and faster.
And you chose to do this.
Haunted houses are a staple of Halloween fun -- for some, at least. You walk through the darkness, trying to anticipate what might be hiding around the corner, and you feel everything listed above.
That rush has a name: adrenaline. Adrenaline is a combination of hormones including epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol. When your brain perceives a threat (like, say, a zombie brandishing a chainsaw), the sympathetic nervous system sends those hormones to the rest of your body.
Now, your heart is very sensitive to these hormones. When your heart receives them, your heart rate will speed up, your blood pressure will go up, your pupils will dilate, and your breathing will become rapid and shallow.
Everything you need for survival is heightened, and the functions that aren’t imperative for that (such as your digestive system) are momentarily shut down. Your body is making sure that you have everything you need to fight – or run away - as quickly as possible.
This begs the question: Why do people actively seek this out?
Tara Mudd, a nurse practitioner at Norton, says it’s about the thrill. You know that the situation you are in is not real and temporary. Once you’re on the other side, you come out with a feeling of accomplishment.
“I think a lot of people like that rush being scared," Mudd said. "We know it’s temporary. And you get a little bit of euphoric feeling after it’s over. You’re like, ‘I survived! I did it!’ And you kind of get hooked on that feeling of euphoria afterwards."
It’s all about the way you look at it. Those hormones that are released when you’re scared are the same ones that are released when you’re excited – it’s just up to your brain to decide which emotion you end up with.
Mudd did caution that people with heart conditions should check with their doctor before they purposefully elevate their heart rate.
Happy Halloween!
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