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Hey there, welcome to LIFE NOGGIN.
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Have you ever been so angry that you start to relate to those cartoon characters who have steam coming out of their ears?
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Or maybe you feel like your blood is boiling beneath your skin.
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Even though you may know what the external cause of your anger is, what's actually going on inside your body when you're angry that's what we're gonna find out.
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Imagine that you are driving on a freeway and somebody suddenly cuts you off.
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You will most likely get angry and either honk your horn, or possibly give them a not-so-nice hand gesture.
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Admit it, we've all done it before.
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Inside your brain, the amygdala, which responses to outside stimuli, processes the car that cut you off, and coordinates the release of neurotransmitters, called catecholamines.
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These cause you to feel a burst of energy preparing you for physical action.
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The hormones, epinephrine and norepinephrine, are also released, increasing your blood pressure.
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Your heart rate increases and your face may flush as the blood rushes to your extremities.
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If you have ever seen someone so angry that they turn red as a lobster, this is why.
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If you want to keep this anger at bay, you'll have to use your prefrontal cortex.
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You can think of this as the area that controls your judgement.
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And if you don't use your prefrontal cortex, you may act aggressively toward others.
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Take Phineas Gage as an example.
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In 1848, while at work, a tamping iron was shot through his left cheek and exited through the top of his head.
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Somehow, he survived, but his frontal lobe was severely damaged.
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After his injury, he is said to have been fitful, irreverent and have the animal passions of a strong man.
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Perhaps the damage to his frontal lobe destroyed his ability to control his behavior.
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He was not only a new man, but also one incapable of self-constraint.
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It's also important to note that constant chronic anger can greatly increase a person's chance of getting a heart disease, like high blood pressure or heart attacks.
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Anger and the heart are very connected.
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This is because epinephrine and norepinephrine constrict blood vessels, making your heart pump harder.
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These two hormones also increase the amount of glucose and fatty acids in the blood.
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The increased levels can lead to damage in artery walls and speed up the process of atherosclerosis.
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When the fatty plaque builds up in the arteries, it narrows them and decreases the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body.
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This can lead to a heart attack, stroke or death.
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But, fear not, there are healthy ways to control your anger, such as meditation, anger management therapy, exercise or even just relaxing and doing something fun.
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Like watching a few LIFE NOGGIN videos.
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So tell us, what is one thing that makes you angry?
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And what do you do to get over that feeling?
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Make sure you come back every Monday and Thursday for a brand new video.
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And if you want even more LIFE NOGGIN, check out these videos we did on the science of happiness and the signs of depression.
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You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
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I'm Blocko. This has been LIFE NOGGIN.
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Stay calm and don't forget to keep on thinking.