Expected physiological reactions to stress or fear of public speaking

Stage fright... to overcome it you must realize that it is natural, a lot of people suffer from it. I bet you have ever had such feelings as upset stomach, dry mouth, cold hands, sweaty palms, squeaky voice, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, hot face and so on while speaking in public. Now I am going to describe one of my physiological reactions to fear of public speaking. 

Elevation of blood pressure is of interest for us. 

The healthy body reacts to stress with an elevated blood pressure in order to insure that nutrients and oxygen are distributed quickly and any poisons are flushed from the system. Heat builds up in the head, chest and stomach because in these areas major organs are being primed for action. The body must begin sweating in order not to overheat. Also, you can often feel the heart pumping more quickly than normal as it maintains the higher blood pressure. The sweat will appear in armpits, groin and forehead, as well as on the palms of your cold hands, leaving them with that nasty clammy feeling.