Our body contains two systems that basically run it. We call these systems the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The CNS is made up of our brain and our spinal cord while the PNS uses sensory and motor neurons to connect the CNS to the rest of the body. Our PNS is broken down into different parts starting with the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. The somatic nervous system controls voluntary movements of skeletal muscles such as talking or picking items up. Conversely, the autonomic nervous system controls self-regulated action of internal glands such as heartbeat and perspiration and is also broken into two other systems that are also a part of the PNS. The system called the sympathetic nervous system basically arouses body functions and the parasympathetic nervous system calms body functions. When describing parasympathetic, we also call it “rest or digest” response and when describing sympathetic, we also could call it the “fight or flight” response, which is probably a more commonly known reference.
The sympathetic nervous system controls automatic functions such as our pupils dilating, heartrate rising, and sweat glands perspiring during situations that make a person leap into some type of action. This could include situations where a person feels they are in some type of danger and need to get away quickly or situations where someone is in a need of help and some type of immediate action needs to take place to help the situation. As I began to explain previously, there are several things that may happen when the system begins to operate such as a decrease in saliva production, inhibiting bladder contraction, and a decrease in digestive functions of stomach. I am sure that most people have felt this feeling of “fight or flight” at one point in their lives during certain situations and the sympathetic nervous system is the reason behind it.
I personally remember witnessing a certain “fight or flight” response when I was about 12 years old. My mom had just made stir fry for our family dinner with some close family friends. The dinner was ready, and we were all enjoying our food when my dad began coughing and freaking out about something and no one had any idea what was happening. We realized that my dad seemed to be choking on a piece of stir fry and my friend’s dad quickly jumped up and started giving my father the Heimlich as best as he could. He had never given anyone the Heimlich before, but he knew he needed to jump into action. I could not feel his body functions, but I am sure his heart rate increased and he began sweating which are both functions that the sympathetic nervous system controls while a person has the “fight or flight” response to a situation.