Appliance of science: Why does your heart beat faster when you are annoyed?

THIS question (What happens when in the body when we get angry?) came in from four-year-old Ryan Breslin, from Dublin. He has touched on a really interesting topic with this one — the science of our emotions.

Our feelings, or emotions, are controlled by different parts of our brain. It sends signals to certain parts of the body. When we feel anger these signals can travel to the heart and change the way it is beating.

Different things may trigger our anger, such as a threat, frustration or someone doing something that we don’t like. Often we will feel angry before we even realise what has triggered it. Although it is important to understand our anger, it is an emotion that is created for our own good and protection. It can keep us safe. If someone is threatening us, for example, getting angry may make them stop what they are doing and leave us alone. Or we may get so angry that we walk away, leaving the threat behind.