How Your Body Reacts to Being in Love

It goes beyond just making you feel all warm inside.

Switch It Up - Scented bath soaps leave us smelling good and feeling even better. Unfortunately, added fragrance is one of the top allergens related to skin irritation and dryness, especially if you have very sensitive skin. This can be exacerbated during the colder autumn months. If you’re experiencing some irritation, try switching to an unscented body wash or a soap and always follow up with a moisturizing lotion. (Photo: I Love Images/Corbis)

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L-O-V-E - You’ve been hanging out with a new person a lot and suddenly it hits you — you don’t just like them, you like them, like them. Beyond just making you feel all warm and bubbly inside, being in new love can impact your body in many other ways. Read on to find out how. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel (Photo: I Love Images/Corbis)

Action! - Did you know that you can actually reduce your breast cancer risk? Read on to find out specific things you can do to save your girls — and your life. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel (Photo: Silke Woweries/Corbis)

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Love Jacks Your Brain - It might not happen at first sight, but scientists say that when you do fall in love, it takes just a fifth of a second. In that incredibly short period of time, 12 regions of the brain are changed to create that feeling you have where you just “know” that you’re in love. It's true. (Photo: Silke Woweries/Corbis)

Photo By Photo: Silke Woweries/Corbis

Love Eases Your Pain - Being in love causes the brain to release dopamine, which acts on the same parts of the brain that are soothed when you take painkillers. (Photo: Inti St Clair/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Love Eases Your Pain - Being in love causes the brain to release dopamine, which acts on the same parts of the brain that are soothed when you take painkillers. (Photo: Inti St Clair/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Love Causes Selective Memory - Those amorous feelings cause the secretion of oxytocin which acts curiously on your memory, like making bad memories loom large in your mind. At the same time, it also makes you forget things like where you put your keys and what time you're due for your next appointment. 

Photo By Photo: JGI/Jamie Grill/GettyImages

Don’t Rub Your Eyes - This can be especially tricky during allergy season, but rubbing your eyes can cause wrinkles and break the teeny capillaries just under the skin, which results in dark circles. Hands off: Lack of sleep can lead to dryness, and if your eyes are itchy, OTC antihistamine eye drops might help. (Photo: Geri Lavrov / Getty Images)

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Love Stresses You Out - Oxytocin also increases your chance of experiencing fear and anxiety during stressful situations. (Photo: Geri Lavrov / Getty Images)

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Love Robs You of Your Focus - As your mind repeatedly returns to your love, you’ll find it hard to concentrate on little things like work and school.  (Photo: moodboard/Corbis)

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Love Robs You of Your Focus - As your mind repeatedly returns to your love, you’ll find it hard to concentrate on little things like work and school.  (Photo: moodboard/Corbis)

Trouble Eating and Sleeping - Is your friend extremely exhausted yet having issues sleeping? Has she lost a lot of weight because she doesn't have an appetite? While these are signs of depression and anxiety, they are also signs that someone might be suicidal. (Photo: Getty Images)

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Love Steals Your Sleep - People in love report getting about an hour less sleep each night than those who aren’t catching feelings.  (Photo: Getty Images)

Lose Some Weight - Being obese and having excess fat on your body can do a number on your menstrual cycle and make you skip periods, which means you ovulate less. And being able to pinpoint ovulation is crucial for getting pregnant. FYI: Being underweight isn’t good for fertility, either. (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Love Protects Your Heart - Your blood pressure decreases and your heart rate slows down, much like when you’re getting regular exercise.  (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)

Keep 'Dating' Your Spouse - You need date time to keep your relationship fresh and exciting in and outside of the bedroom. It may sound weird, but being married doesn’t mean you two should stop trying to learn about each other and having fun together. Keep the romance and don't forget why you got married in the first place. (Photo: David Jakle/Corbis)

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Love Makes You Squeaky - It’s not your imagination… Your voice really does go all lovey-dovey. There is evidence that when you talk to your new love, you unconsciously use a higher voice. (Photo: Sara Wight/Corbis)

Box of Chocolates  - A box of chocolates is a small gesture that carries a lot of weight because it showcases your thoughtfulness towards the hostess and appreciation for receiving a dinner invite. If you would like to make it more personal, include a handwritten thank you card. (Photo: Adam Gault/Getty Images)

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Love Impacts Your Sense of Taste - Apparently love really is sweet: Researchers have found that people who reflected on their love, then tasted various things (even water!), rated those foods as tasting sweeter than those who weren’t in love. (Photo: Adam Gault/Getty Images)