How the Fight-or-Flight response explains stress. Cortisol -- your “fight-or-flight” hormone -- is designed to let you know when you’re danger. The hypothalamus in the brain is in charge of the stress response. Symptoms of Excess Adrenal Medulla Hormone Production: The Pheochromocytoma . The onset of a stress response is associated with specific physiological actions in the sympathetic nervous system, primarily caused by release of adrenaline and norepinephrine from the medulla of the adrenal glands. I think most of us know what it means when you hear the phrase “ fight or flight .” When a person encounters a dire situation the adrenal glands come to their aid by supplying the body with adrenaline . The “fight or flight” response is your body’s reaction to stress.Your body is hard-wired to give you quick energy to either fight off or run away from a threat. Learn why. The thyroid gland produces thyroxine which affects cells in the heart and heart rate, ... digestion stops and the body becomes ready for fight or flight. When we are in danger, or think we are (think: worried your boss is going to fire you, worried about money, worried about your kids, your marriage…), they mobilize all of our resources to fight or get away from that danger. But too much or too of it can throw your whole body out of whack. In the meantime, you should learn more about the hormone that’s causing you the flight and fight response – adrenaline. Most people have heard of the “fight or flight” response of the nervous system, the way in which the body reacts to stress or danger. Many, however, have never heard of the “rest and digest” response. Thanks to the work of our sympathetic nervous system, the "fight or flight" system that takes over when we're stressed, when you see your boss's name in your inbox late at … Understanding the stress response. A pheochromocytoma it a tumor growing from the inner part of the adrenal gland (the medulla) and they over produce fight or flight hormones (catecholamines; also called epinephrine, metanephrine, adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine). It is produced by the adrenal glands, which are located on tops of your kidneys. Adrenals: Their Role In Fight or Flight. However, when stress hormones (such as adrenaline and cortisol) are continually released because you are “stressed out,” it is thought that they harm your health in many ways, including potentially contributing to heart disease. When a stress response is triggered, it sends signals to two other structures: the pituitary gland, and the adrenal medulla. But too much or too of it can throw your whole body out of whack. So the two components of the fight or flight response are the neural response, which communicates with smooth muscles and glands via neural connections, and the hormonal response, which releases the “stress” hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol into the bloodstream.