• Careers
  • Education
  • Research
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search
Close Search
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Thinkstockphotos 481231906 Haunted House

Can Being Scared Be Good for Your Health?

Oct 27, 2016 |
By Michael Castine, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

In the face of a scary event, real or fake, a person's “fight-or-flight” response can take over, which can result in a myriad of positive changes to your body. So, while you are visiting haunted houses this Halloween or watching that really scary movie, you may be helping out your heart.

“When you experience fear, your body prepares itself for prompt action by triggering your "fight-or-flight" response,” said Dr. Michael Castine, cardiologist at Ochsner Medical Center – West Bank. “This response begins in a region of your brain called the hypothalamus, which sounds the alarm and triggers increased production of adrenaline in your adrenal glands. That's the rush you feel when scared.”

According to Dr. Castine, adrenaline in your bloodstream achieves its effects on your heart rate by stimulating the adrenergic receptors on cells throughout your heart tissue. The overall result of this process is an increase in your heart rate, as well as an increase in the force of each individual heart contraction. Adrenaline also triggers the blood vessels to contract to re-direct blood toward major muscle groups, including the heart and lungs.

Castine adds, “being scared” may actually benefit your health, “While you exercise, your heart beats faster to pump more blood (which contains important oxygen, fluids and nutrients) to the working muscles.”

“The effects are similar when you’re scared. Scary movies usually run for about two hours. In those two hours your heart rate can rise and fall back to resting rate. In addition to strengthening your heart muscle, this can train your heart to pump more blood with every stroke -- increasing your cardiac output up to eight times its resting capacity. Ultimately, your heart becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen and draining metabolic waste products away.”

However, if you have prior health problems, such as heart disease, Dr. Castine says, haunted houses may not be for you.

“An adrenaline rush can have detrimental effects on health. In people with heart disease, it can cause a weakening of the heart muscle, heart failure or a heart attack. So steer clear of haunted houses if you have any of these diagnoses.”

Learn more about cardiology at Ochsner Medical Center - West Bank.

Tags
fear

You may also be interested in:

492439665 Horror Face
Prevention & Wellness
Oct 21, 2016

Horror Films: Scared to Death or Good Fun?

Whether it's going to the theater to watch the latest offerings from Hollywood, or staying at home to watch a classic, most would agree that the weeks leading up to Halloween are prime time for horror movie viewing.
play button icon
Prevention & Wellness
Oct 21, 2016

How to Prepare for a Zombie Apocalypse

Whether there’s a zombie apocalypse or a natural disaster, it’s always important to be prepared.
486633474 Zombies Sm
Health Trends
Oct 18, 2016

Just for Fun: Zombies Throughout History

In the spirit of Halloween, we thought it would be fun to talk about zombies.

Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Pinterest

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Hello Health Seminars
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

Healthy Living Tips, Delivered Right To Your Inbox

* indicates required


Must Reads
Food and Fitness
Men’s Health
Parenting
Women’s Health

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:


Get Weekly Health Tips

Select the weekly newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition

Let us know where to send your weekly newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox every week.

Ochsner Health System
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide