Which change is NOT a physiological response to pain as a stressor?

Which change is NOT a physiological response to pain as a stressor?

• A. Increased blood pressure
• B. Vasoconstriction of the skin
• C. Increased peristalsis
• D. Increased glucose in the blood

Answer: (C)

Pain acts as a stressor that triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, nudging the autonomic nervous system toward sympathetic activity. This shift raises blood pressure, in part from increased heart rate and vasoconstriction, and it causes the skin to constrict its vessels, which can lead to pallor. Energy is mobilized and available as glucose in the blood due to catecholamines. At the same time, the gastrointestinal tract slows down; peristalsis is reduced rather than increased. So, an increase in GI motility would not be a typical response to acute pain. The other changes align with the expected sympathetic stress responses, whereas increased peristalsis does not.

Pain acts as a stressor that triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, nudging the autonomic nervous system toward sympathetic activity. This shift raises blood pressure, in part from increased heart rate and vasoconstriction, and it causes the skin to constrict its vessels, which can lead to pallor. Energy is mobilized and available as glucose in the blood due to catecholamines. At the same time, the gastrointestinal tract slows down; peristalsis is reduced rather than increased. So, an increase in GI motility would not be a typical response to acute pain. The other changes align with the expected sympathetic stress responses, whereas increased peristalsis does not.