From an ‘electric buzz’ to butterflies and a racing heart – what happens to your body when you fall in love
THERE'S nothing quite like falling in love.
From the surge of joy at the thought your loved one, to the sweaty anxiety of getting ready to see them and the despair of not hearing from them, it can certainly be an emotional roller-coaster.
Falling head over heals for someone is unique each time and it can feel like an intensely individual experience.
But there are some core biological processes that underpin being smitten with a special someone.
And they might explain some of the wacky expressions we have to describe the experience of craving our beloved: from 'butterflies in your stomach' to 'love is blind'.
Dr Liat Yakir, a biologist specialising in hormones and genes dove deep into the biological underpinnings of love and the science of attraction in her book .
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Speaking to Sun Health, she revealed how our brain rates someone as attractive or unattractive in the seconds after laying eyes on them.
"Within the first 30 seconds of meeting someone, the amygdala forms an initial impression of attraction - an instinctual and often subconscious emotional judgement made by the primitive brain,"; she explained.
"This decision categorises a person as "attractive," "unattractive," "acceptable," or "unacceptable."
During the initial stages of love, the brain is flooded with the most potent chemicals it can experience
Dr Liat Yakir
The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure that lies in the temporal lobe of your brain - it's responsible for managing emotions, decision-making, sexual arousal, and fear and aggression and plays a crucial role in the process of attraction, the biologist said.
"It primarily focuses on elimination, discarding negative options based on past emotional experiences and evolutionary instincts.
"This small yet pivotal brain part emphasises negative aspects threefold over positive ones, adhering to a "better safe than sorry" philosophy."
The release of oxytocin stimulates the hormone atrial natriuretic peptide, which regulates blood pressure and can prevent thickening of heart muscle.
also link romantic love to increased physical activity, reduced depression and better sleep for some people.
Others, however might actually end up feeling more irritable or anxious instead.
And sometimes, the all-consuming nature of our emotions can make us forget about exercise, our jobs and friendships.
What happens when you fall out of love?
Hormones once again come into play when our feelings dim or we fall out of love.
"Oxytocin binds us, transforming strangers into lovers," Dr Yakir explained.
"After the initial infatuation phase, which can last from six hours to two years, relationships either experience a decline in excitement and couples grow apart or develop into a stable bond of friendship and trust.
"Continuous oxytocin production is essential to maintain this bond beyond the initial butterflies' phase.
"Without it, the connection dissolves, reverting partners to strangers."
Dr Larkin added: "The main biological processes of falling out of love are due to less interest, motivation and connection around the lover.
"There is no longer the dopamine hit from being with them, and oxytocin is not stimulated as much if there is less emotional and physical connection."
And hormones strike again in the case of a breakup.
"When someone goes through a break up that is stressful, the main impact is that there is an increase in the stress hormone cortisol," Dr Larkin said.
"This may be short-lived but can also continue in a chronic stress situation.
"It is important to reduce this by connecting with others and finding motivation for other activities, to still stimulate dopamine and oxytocin."
Breakups are often likened to a punch in the gut and it turns out that's not just a metaphor.
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Whether or not it was mutual, the emotional pain of a breakup can often be so intense you feel it physically in your body.
Your body can also go through withdrawal symptoms, craving touch and the presence of your partner.
What is broken heart syndrome?
In rare cases, the emotional agony of heartbreak or loss could actually 'break' your heart.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, dubbed 'broken heart syndrome', earned its nickname because it can be triggered by grief or a big breakup, and weakens the heart by swelling part of it.
This can happen when someone undergoes severe emotional distress such as the loss of a loved one.
The condition is rare but women are more likely to develop it than men, and most patients make a full recovery.
It's been suggested that Nothing Compares 2 U singer Sinead O'Connor might have suffered from the condition.
A study by the University of Aberdeen has found people diagnosed with takotsubo have an above-average risk of death for at least five years after diagnosis.
What are the symptoms of broken heart syndrome?
They can mimic those of a heart attack, including:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Dizziness
These symptoms may begin as soon as minutes or as long as hours after an emotionally or physically stressful event.