Adrenaline – role, research, norms. The effect of adrenaline on health

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Adrenaline is released from the nerve endings of the sympathetic nervous system as well as from the medulla of the adrenal glands and paragangular bodies. Adrenaline is tested by measuring its concentration in the blood plasma. They are usually recommended for people with hypertension of unknown cause.

Adrenaline – role in the body

Adrenaline is one of the transmitters of the sympathetic nervous system, and its testing is mainly based on the measurement of its concentration in the blood. Two related hormones are actually determined, i.e. adrenaline and norepinephrine, i.e. catecholamines, which are responsible for stimulating the body under conditions of increased stress. These hormones are secreted by the adrenal medulla, and norepinephrine is released from sympathetic nerve endings.

At the moment of nervous arousal, threat or fight, catecholamines are released, which is manifested by:

1. a significantly higher pain threshold than before,
2. accelerated heart rate,
3. mental mobilization to act,
4. high blood pressure.

In addition, there is an increase in blood glucose. Testing of catecholamines and their metabolites in the blood is undertaken when the presence of a phaeochromocytoma is suspected, which releases too much adrenaline and noradrenaline. This is because humans are generally not deficient in catecholamines. Even if the adrenal medulla is destroyed by disease or surgery, the deficiency of epinephrine and norepinephrine is compensated by the activity of the sympathetic nerves, which produce norepinephrine from the paragangular sympathetic bodies.

Find out more: Endocrine system – structure, functions, disorders of the endocrine system

When to do an adrenaline test?

Adrenaline testing is performed when suspected secondary hypertension of unknown origin or associated with the presence of an adrenaline-producing tumor is suspected. The tumor usually originates in the adrenal medulla, is single and is mostly benign (approximately 10% of cases are malignant). Hypertension resulting from the release of only noradrenaline may be permanent. The indications for these tests are sudden, very high increases in blood pressure, accompanied by palpitations and pale skin.

It is worth mentioning that adrenaline levels fluctuate very quicklyTherefore, the analysis of its level at a given moment is sometimes useless to establish the final diagnosis. It happens that the very moment of collecting the patient’s blood leads to an increase in plasma adrenaline. Therefore, it is recommended to test this hormone from the daily urine collection. Then the amount of catecholamines and their metabolites present in it is tested.

However, there are certain situations where blood adrenaline testing is very helpful and enables an immediate diagnosis to be made. Catecholamines released from tumor tissue are “paroxysmal”. There is an increase in blood pressure, pale skin, palpitations, headaches and tremors. In this case, blood is drawn during the seizure. Taking into account the fact that the concentration of adrenaline or noradrenaline in pheochromocytoma is very high – the diagnosis is made in 4/5 patients.

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Adrenaline – study

Adrenaline test material: serum or urine (daily collection).

Preparation for the adrenaline test: on an empty stomach (at least 8 hours).

The course of the study: one-time blood sampling from a vein in the arm. The vein is usually punctured on the left forearm around the left elbow fossa. The collected material requires quick transport to the laboratory. The samples must remain frozen to be correctly identified.

Time to wait for the result: 1 Day.

Standard: 240-480 pmol/l (44-80 pg/ml).

Comments: Preparations acting on the nerve endings of the sympathetic system affect the concentration of adrenaline. In clinical practice, it is very difficult to obtain a reliable test result due to the very short half-life of adrenaline. Adrenaline is very important in the stress mechanism and in the immediate reaction of the body in an emergency.

After being released from nerve endings, it acts on α- and β-adrenergic receptors, increasing the strength of myocardial contraction, accelerating the heart rate, constricting blood vessels and leading to an increase in blood pressure, expansion of the airways, intensification of the breakdown of glycogen into glucose, thereby increasing the concentration of blood sugar. Adrenaline is the primary drug used in resuscitation in cardiac arrest. We also use it in the case of a sharp drop in blood pressure, e.g. in the course of anaphylactic shock.

Do you have to prepare for adrenaline testing?

There are no guidelines for special preparation before epinephrine determination. Typically, the test is performed on patients who are under medical supervision and who have the ‘seizure symptoms’ mentioned above. It is only recommended that, if possible, the patient should refrain from eating foods that may interfere with the test result, e.g. chocolate, alcohol, coffee, tea, bananas, nuts.

Smoking is also not recommended. Before a test is performed, your doctor will need information about your medications because many preparations affect the test result. However, it is difficult to meet all the conditions, especially to stop taking medications, during the seizure. The situation is different in the case of the daily urine collection – it can be planned and specially prepared. However, the measurement of adrenaline in the blood has a greater diagnostic value.

Are there any contraindications for adrenaline testing?

There are practically no contraindications or complications. Of course, as with any blood sampling, prolonged bleeding can occur. In this case, you should carefully apply pressure to the injection site. Sometimes hematomas may appear after blood sampling due to improper puncture.

Adrenaline in women and men

Adrenaline is naturally maintained at a higher concentration in menwhich translates into more frequent stomach ulcers, cardiovascular diseases and Parkinson’s disease. In the case of women, these are protected by the secreted estrogens. However, if estrogen levels begin to drop too much, then stress-related conditions arise.

It should be mentioned that this also has a negative impact on the beauty of the fair sex. This is due to the action of adrenaline, which dilates blood vessels, and due to the fact that women’s skin is much thinner than men’s, women’s faces and necks immediately become covered with red spots at the moment of strong nerves and other emotions. In addition, the muscles on the mandible, forehead, and around the mouth are tense, which, given the very delicate skin of women, accelerates the formation of wrinkles.

Moreover, it is very easy to tell by the skin of the ladies whether they are often nervous and whether the concentration of stress hormones in their blood is maintained at a high level. This can be seen thanks to the two vertical lines between the eyebrows on the forehead of some women, known as the so-called lion’s wrinkles.

Further In women, the production of the hormone noradrenaline is reduced, which neutralizes the effects of adrenalineTherefore, when there is a sudden increase in adrenaline in women, it will drop much more slowly than in men. Consequently, they will last much longer in women, including all the associated negative effects of adrenaline.

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Adrenaline in drug form

However, adrenaline does not only have negative effects and is successfully used as a form of a specific medicine, for example in cases of anaphylactic shock, i.e. an acute allergic reaction that may be fatal, caused by a substance, e.g. wasp or bee venom or a drug. The adrenaline used then stimulates our heart to contractions, and when the defibrillator is used, it will increase the effectiveness of conduction of electrical stimuli. In addition, adrenaline constricts blood vessels, which raises blood pressure, which in turn is useful when we want to stop bleeding.

Another of the properties of this hormone is that it relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchi and throat, which makes it easier for a person to breathe, which is especially important in the case of acute dyspnea or swelling of the respiratory tract.

Adrenaline is also useful for people struggling with allergies and this hormone may even save their lives in a crisis situation. Allergy sufferers should consider asking their doctor for a prescription for an automatic adrenaline dispenser. In fact, it is a pre-filled syringe, thanks to which it is possible to inject intramuscularly without major problems, preferably into the muscles of the anterolateral part of the thigh. This is due to the fact that the injection into this part of the muscle allows to obtain a therapeutic effect in just a few dozen seconds, and the maximum concentration of the hormone in the blood is reached after 8 minutes.

Interestingly, in the case of a subcutaneous injection, a similar result only takes 34 minutes. You should only remember to hold the syringe at a 90-degree angle to the thigh surface and press the plunger as far as it will go. After the injection, you also need to thoroughly massage the injection site, which will make the adrenaline work faster.

Adrenaline pre-filled syringes

Adrenaline hormone dosage in the pre-filled syringe:

1. adults – standard 0,30 mg (if necessary, the injection can be repeated after 15 minutes),
2. children weighing from 10 to 25 kg – 0,15 mg,
3. children weighing more than 25 kg – 0,30 mg.

The use of the pre-filled syringe is simple, convenient and, what is equally important, very safe therefore the pre-filled syringe can be used alone or with the help of other untrained persons. Adrenaline can also be administered intravenously, but this method is only used in a hospital setting, usually in intensive care units.

Can adrenaline be overdosed?

Interestingly, adrenaline can be overdosed. If taken in excess, it can cause tachycardia, which in turn causes our heart to beat more than 120 beats per minute. When the heart beats normally, it beats 60 to 90 times per minute. It should also be added that adrenaline also increases blood glucose levelswhich can cause stroke and other dangerous conditions.

Reducing the concentration of adrenaline in the body

The concentration of adrenaline in the body increases during stressful situations, and although many times such situations cannot be avoided, their devastating effects can be reduced. To reduce the concentration of this hormone in our body, it is worth trying physical exercisethat can put us in a state of euphoria and calm our body. Remember to relax properly, which is great for physical activities such as yoga, meditation or tai-chi.

But what to do when stress catches up with us in a public place? There is one trick. The right nostril should be blocked with your finger. Then we pay attention to keep our mouths closed during this time and breathe the second (left) hole, blissful peace should overwhelm us after a minute.

See also: Hormonal disorders – symptoms, causes, prevention

Adrenaline and the addiction problem

Adrenaline, as well as stimulants such as cigarettes, alcohol, coffee or tea, and drugs can be addictive. Interestingly, according to the conducted research, it appears that men most often have a problem with adrenaline addiction.

It should also be borne in mind that the human body begins to get used to a certain level of adrenaline over time, and it does not matter what we do to induce the effect of this hormone. If we want to stop and allow ourselves to rest from such extreme experiences for some time, then the so-called withdrawal syndrome (withdrawal syndrome) may occur, i.e. a set of symptoms occurring in people addicted to a specific substance, which is revealed when you stop taking a given substance. or reduce its doses.

It must not be forgotten that the beneficial effects of adrenaline are relatively short-lived, and fatigue is always followed by euphoria. These types of mood swings can be very dangerous, especially when repeated regularly. In addition, it must be remembered that any addiction affects not only the addicted person, but also their relatives, family and friends. Unfortunately, it is very rare that a person can be fully cured of this addiction. In the fight against adrenaline addiction, positive effects can be brought by long-term psychotherapy, which can reduce the needs of an addict for huge doses of this hormone.

However, the most important thing is that the addict is fully aware of the destructive influence of his addiction not only on himself, but also on his environment. Before we want to taste this specific feeling caused by adrenaline, remember that this hormone is a dangerous passion, development and interests, and according to statistics, people with adrenaline-related problems go to specialists only when something happens in their lives. serious accident.

The discovery of adrenaline

The Polish physiologist, Napoleon Cybulski, who in 1895 extracted an extract from the adrenal cortex, today called the adrenal gland, is responsible for the discovery of Adrenaline. This extract contained catecholamines, including adrenaline. The adrenaline itself was distinguished only in 1901 by the Japanese chemist Jokichi Takamine and was the first person in the world to give it the commonly known name – adrenaline.

The name adrenaline comes from the combination of the Latin words “ad” and “renes”, which directly translates to “over the kidneys”. As a curiosity, it is worth mentioning that the Japanese are recognized in the world as the most overworked and stressed nation. In Japan, there is even a special term for overworked death, or “karoshi”. This type of death is caused by changes taking place in the human body, initiated by stress hormones, including the aforementioned adrenaline. According to the collected data, about 30 people die from overwork. Japanese.

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