Related articles: Goose leather
Definition
The phenomenon of tear-up - more commonly known as "goose bumps" - consists in straightening the hair due to the contraction of the muscle fibers attached to the hair bulbs.
The reflex that causes the erector muscles of the hair to contract, known as piloerection (or pilomotor reflex), is initiated by the sympathetic nervous system. As a result, the skin has numerous small conical ridges, close together, which correspond to the swollen piliferous base and the erect hair.
Goose bumps are transient and, in most cases, they are triggered by intense cold (the phenomenon reduces the dispersion of body heat) or by a violent emotional state (fear, joy, sexual excitement, etc.).
Rarely, goose bumps are associated with certain pathological conditions. As a symptom, it can be found in the case of temporal lobe epilepsy or autonomous dysreflexia (syndrome due to hyperactivity of the unregulated sympathetic nervous system, which is found in patients with spinal cord injury). Furthermore, it can occur in case of hypoglycemic syncope and severe withdrawal symptoms (from alcohol, opiates, barbiturates, sedatives, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, etc.).
Sometimes, this type of reflex appears in some forms of brain tumors.
Possible Causes * of Goose Bumps
- Digestive congestion
