Vasodilation: Why The Skin Turns Red During Exercise

• Buffer
• Tweet

What is Vasodilation?

Why does a person’s skin flush or become red when he or she is in the midst of a medium to high intensity exercise? Without the person knowing it, his or her body is undergoing the process of vasodilation. What is Vasodilation? It’s the widening or dilation of the blood vessels caused by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls. This is especially true in large arteries, smaller arterioles, and large veins.

What is the Origin of the World Vasodilation?

Vasodilation comes from the Latin words “vasa” meaning vessel and “dilate” which means to make wider. It is a critical physiological process, impacting a growing health problem worldwide, high blood pressure. Among Americans who have high blood pressure, only 37 percent have it under control. And controlling high blood pressure is important because it puts stress on the heart and increases one’s risk of having a heart attack or stroke, or developing heart or kidney failure.

What is Vasoconstriction?

Vasodilation and its “twin” and exact opposite, vasoconstriction, are nature’s ways of providing a solution whereby blood pressure and body temperature can be controlled. Both processes work on the theory that blood carries heat and where blood flows, the heat follows. When blood pressure or body temperature is high, vasodilation occurs and acts as a cooling mechanism. The opening of the blood vessels increases blood flow and the process enables the heat that is carried by the blood to be carried to the surface of the body where it escapes into the atmosphere. Thus, the extra heat produced is “rectified,” or regulated, by increasing the blood flow to the skin, enabling the heat to evaporate and deepening the redness of the skin.

Meanwhile, in cold whether, when the body needs more heat, vasoconstriction kicks in. Vasoconstriction refers to the narrowing of blood vessels which results in raised pressure and an increase in body temperature caused by friction from the blood passing through the internal walls of the vessels. This means that blood flow to the skin is decreased and less heat is lost to the atmosphere.

How does Vasodilation Function?

Simply put, it directly affects the relationship between mean arterial pressure which is the average blood pressure in an individual, cardiac output which is the volume of blood being pumped by the heart per minute, and total peripheral resistance or TPR, the total amount of the resistance of all peripheral vasculature in the systemic circulation. An increase in either cardiac output or TPR can cause the mean arterial pressure to rise. Vasodilation works to decrease TPR and blood pressure through the relaxation of smooth muscle cells in the large arteries and smaller arterioles.

What are Vasodilators?

It’s easy to see why vasodilation plays a significant role as a solution for heart disease and it does this through what is commonly called vasodilators. Vasodilators are drugs that cause the blood vessel walls to widen or relax, allowing blood to flow more easily and thus reduce blood pressure. They are often used to treat hypertension, heart failure, a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to nourish the cells throughout the body, and angina, chest pain caused by heart disease.

There are several types of vasodilator drugs. Arterial dilators primarily affect arteries and are prescribed for high blood pressure and heart failure, but not for angina. Venous dilators work on veins and are effective for angina and sometimes heart failure, but not really used for high blood pressure. Mixed dilators affect both arteries and veins — most vasodilators are mixed dilators.

Indeed, vasodilation and vasodilator drugs play a big part in controlling high blood pressure. They also provide other benefits that are identified with increased blood flow: facilitating the delivery of more nutrients and oxygen to the body’s cells, removing waste products from the body, healing scar tissue and helping develop new muscle tissue. Remember, though, that vasodilation is not enough to solve one’s heart problems. At the end of the day, healthy lifestyle changes like eating well, getting regular exercise, and avoiding stress are the real ingredients to a healthy heart and a healthy life.

Resources about Vasodilation

Human Adaptability Humans, like all mammals, are homeotherms. We have a homeostatic or balance seeking temperature regulation system

In the vascular theory the constriction of peripheral arteries and the dilation of cerebral blood vessels lead to a headache. The vasoconstiction leads to a loss of cerebral oxygen in the blood, therefore, the compensatory mechanism is vasodilation.

Information about Vasodilators for heart related issues

Resource by T.Price

I am a mom of 2 boys who loves to spend time with them doing fun things outdoors. In my spare time I have my own things I enjoy doing such as gardening, reading old books, and being a closet history buff.

Related Research For Teachers, Students, and Kids