How our bodies betray us when we're blown away...

By Shari Levine

Your heart is beating so fast it feels like you can't catch your breath. Sweat stings your eyes as it drips down your face. Your hands begin to sweat and shake like you're in the middle of an earthquake. The butterflies buzzing around in your stomach give you a sick feeling, somewhere between excitement and terror....

Is this how your body responds when you get nervous, embarrassed, or excited? If you're like me, you blush, sweat, feel sick to your stomach, get flustered and shake. It's as if our bodies begin to react long before our brains have a chance to think about what is happening. So what is all this blushing, sweating, and belly aching about?

It often feels like you're the only one whose body performs when you feel blown away, but believe me, everyone's body puts them through a little something when they feel uncomfortable.

Blush Rush Gush....

I get embarrassed so easily. All it takes is for a teacher to call on me in class, and I turn bright red!! I never raise my hand in school to answer a question because I get so nervous that I blush uncontrollably. My teachers must think that I am either not listening or that I am just plain dumb because I never, ever speak in class. One time, Mr. Parker, my math teacher called on me to answer a question. I got so nervous that when I opened my mouth to answer, nothing came out. The whole class was staring at me for a long time until John, a know-it-all boy in my class shouted the answer out loud. I was so relieved that I could have kissed him!

Why do we blush when we're blown away?

Have you ever wondered why your face turns bright red when you're embarrassed? What happens is the tiny blood vessels in your cheeks called capillaries dilate (get wider). As a result there is more blood flowing into the vessels in your face. Your blood is red, that is why your cheeks turn red. Make sense? This whole process is controlled by your nervous system and your hormones.

Sweat Wet Fret...

Everybody sweats. It's normal for your body to sweat in response to extreme heat or strenuous exercise. But some people sweat when they are excited or embarrassed. Ever notice the palms of your hands get wet when you are nervous? Or, are you one of the unlucky (but perfectly normal) people who sweats under your arms when you are excited? This happens to a lot of girls including me...

One time in 11th grade I was in the cafeteria at school eating lunch with my friends. We were talking about Jack, a boy who I had asked to a Sadie Hawkins dance (a dance where the girls get to invite a date). I was giddy because he agreed to go with me. My friends and I were talking (very loudly) about how cute he was when I realized that he was sitting at the table next to us! It turns out that he and his friends heard our entire conversation. I felt my hands get wet within seconds. Minutes later my whole body felt like I had jumped in a pool of sticky, salty sweat. I don't know what was more embarrassing, Jack and his friends hearing me talk about him or my sweating!

The bad news is that you can't control your body's nervous sweating. The good news is that sweating doesn't hurt, it's just water and salt. Just be glad it's not smelly green stuff coming out of your skin!

Why do we sweat?

When your body gets too warm because of the temperature or when you exercise, it will release water (through sweating) to cool itself. The way this works is sweat glands release water onto your skin. Your skin gets cooler when the water (your sweat) evaporates or dries. When you are too warm you start to sweat from your forehead, and then the rest of your body follows. Nervous sweating, on the other hand starts on the palms of your hands, and then moves to the soles of your feet, and your armpits. Fortunately you can use an antiperspirant or powder to help prevent wetness from showing up under your arms.

Belly Ache Quake...

Do you ever get the sensation of having butterflies in your stomach? You know, that weird feeling in your belly that is somewhere between sick and psyched? You don't feel like eating anything because your stomach is doing flip flops. This is normal! It happens to me all the time.

Every time I take a test I get nervous. It doesn't matter if it is a simple quiz or a final exam, I get the same uncomfortable feeling in my tummy. I want to do well in school, so it's very important to me to get good grades on my tests. Sitting and waiting for the test papers to be passed out, I feel like my belly could leap right out of my body and onto the desk. My hands are shaking, I am breathing heavy, and my stomach feels like it is full of a thousand dancing butterflies.

The bad news is that nervous belly aches can make you feel sick. The good news is that they quickly go away when you are no longer feeling nervous.

Why do we get nervous stomach aches?

When you get nervous or excited about something, your body moves into action. This is called the Fight-or-Flight Response. Think about a cave woman. If she is being chased by a hungry animal, say a tiger, she needs to make a split second decision about what to do. Will she stay and fight the tiger? Or, will she turn and run for her life and flee? Either way, she needs quick energy and strength. Her Fight-Or-Flight response is controlled by her nervous system (her brain) and her hormones.

How does this relate to you? You know that feeling when your heart is racing and you're breathing really heavy? That's your Fight-or-Flight Response. And you don't have to be chased by a tiger to feel that way! You can get that feeling anytime you are nervous or excited about something.

Let's get back to your tummy. When you're body gets all revved up and excited, your digestive system shuts down for a little while. This is why it feels like a family of fluttering butterflies are living in your belly.