Fight-or-flight response

Fight-or-Flight Response
Other names	Acute stress response
Specialty	Psychology, Neurology

The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It prepares the body to either confront or flee from the threat.

Overview

First described by American physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon, the fight-or-flight response is a survival mechanism that is part of our body's autonomic nervous system. When we perceive a threat, our bodies prepare for a physical response by releasing stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones cause a variety of physiological changes designed to enhance our ability to respond to the threat.

Physiological Changes

These changes include increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate to enhance oxygen supply to muscles, dilation of the pupils to improve vision, increased sweating to cool the body, and the release of glucose and fats to provide extra energy.

See Also

• Acute stress reaction
• Walter Bradford Cannon
• Adrenaline
• Cortisol