Epinephrine
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Epinephrine, also known as Adrenaline, is a hormone in the body. The Latin roots ad-+renes and the Greek roots epi-+nephros both mean into/onto the kidney, which is a reference to the adrenal glands. In medical jargon, epinephrine is shortened to just "epi" (pronounced eh-pee).
[edit] Effects in the body
Epinephrine is very important in short-term stress reaction (see Fight or Flight reaction). Epinephrine increases heart rate, making the pupils bigger, making the blood vessels in the legs bigger, and weakens the immune system for a short time. Because of this, epinephrine is a common treatment for Anaphylaxis. Bad reactions to epinephrine include heart palpitations, tachycardia, anxiety, headache, tremor, hypertension, and acute pulmonary edema.
[edit] See also
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