Feeling a cool breeze, or frozen thoroughly, many people notice that goosebumps went on. Any unexpected impressions lead to the appearance on the skin of many small tubercles, which usually soon disappear. What is the reason for this phenomenon, why is this happening?
Having understood some of the features of human physiology, you can give a confident answer to these questions.
Goosebump mechanism
Almost all mammals have body hairs. Man is no exception, on the body of each of us there are exactly the same hair per square centimeter of skin, like chimpanzees. Only human hairs are thinner and shorter, lighter. Each hair has its own root, in which there are miniature muscles. Muscular structures are responsible for raising the hair, which is carried out when they are reduced.
The coat of animals is responsible, among other things, for maintaining heat, when the hairs rise, the air gap increases, which provides the maximum level of protection against cold. Human hairs are a rudimentary coat, inherited from distant ancestors. The mechanism of raising hairs in people also works, but it is rudimentary, forming only goosebumps formed by tense muscles at the roots.
Interesting fact: in the center of each tubercle you can see the hair that has risen.
Goosebumps from fear, pleasure
Frightened, a person can feel the same wave of goosebumps as from the cold. This mechanism is also understandable from a biological point of view. In many animals, the hair stands on end not only from the cold. Fear also provokes the contraction of microscopic muscles and the raising of hairs, since due to the maximally raised hairline, every living creature looks larger, more dangerous. In humans, a similar rudimentary mechanism is triggered.
Goosebumps provoked by pleasure are recognized by scientists as a biological mystery. Not all people are capable of experiencing them - only 2/3 of the world's population. Perhaps they are expressed as a reaction to the suddenness of sensations. In case of any sudden stimuli, the body produces adrenaline, which forms the corresponding reaction, which is called the scientifically pilomotor reflex, and in the people - goose bumps, or goosebumps.
Interesting fact: in hedgehogs and porcupines, the same pilomotor reflex is responsible for raising the needles to the “fighting” position.
Are goosebumps always the norm?
The appearance of goose bumps from a cold or a sharp irritant, fear, and then the disappearance of tubercles is the norm. They should disappear immediately after the action of the stimulus that caused their appearance ends. However, if the nervous excitement has passed, and the goose bumps have remained, the situation ceases to be normal. In a situation where they are constantly observed on the skin, it makes sense to consult a dermatologist. We can talk about implicit rashes on the skin, dry skin, other problems.
With normal skin counts, a reaction to nerve compression, metabolic problems, and vitamin deficiency can be suspected. If goosebumps appear and disappear periodically for no apparent reason, it can be a symptom of nervous disorders and diseases. Doctors note that the most common symptom is observed in people with increased anxiety, nervous excitability.
If goosebumps run through your legs without affecting the rest of the body, you should consult a phlebologist without delaying a visit to the doctor in a long box. Symptom may indicate atherosclerosis, varicose veins, and other diseases associated with leg veins.
Thus, goosebumps appear as a rudimentary reaction of the body to cold, nervous excitement, danger - all those cases in which the hair rises in animals. If they appear for no apparent external reason, they can be an alarming symptom requiring special attention, a visit to the doctor.
