Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)

Sympathetic nervous system (SNS), part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), works like an “automatic” nervous system — responsible for many functions not requiring cognitive control, including heartrate, blood pressure, digestion, urination, and sweating. The SNS puts our body’s systems on alert for as long as necessary to avoid danger (fight-or-flight response/FFR). It speeds up the heartrate and delivers more blood to body areas needing more oxygen or other responses to fight or flee from danger. Also see parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS and the PNS work together to keep the body in balance.