When the vagus nerve itself gets damaged, you'll obviously deal with some pain in your neck - but other weird symptoms will present themselves as well. You'll notice issues with your voice, problems with your throat, an increased heart rate, brain fog, excessively high or low blood pressure, and gut problems.
The vagal response is a series of unpleasant symptoms that occur when the vagus nerve is stimulated. Often, this response is triggered by certain things like stress, pain, and fear. Symptoms of the vagal response include dizziness, nausea, ringing ears, and sweating. In some cases, it can make you pass out.
The Vagus nerve is also important in lowering heart rate and blood pressure. When it becomes overactive it can prevent the heart rate from pumping blood to the brain, which can occur with Vasovagal Syncope. Excess in Vagus activity intermittently can cause loss of consciousness.
To test the vagus nerve, a doctor may check the gag reflex . During this part of the examination, the doctor may use a soft cotton swab to tickle the back of the throat on both sides. This should cause the person to gag.
The vagus nerve is also noted as being the tenth cranial nerve (designated as CN X). The vagus nerve is actually a set of two nerves, a vagus nerve right side of the neck and a vagus nerve left side of the neck.
Loud gargling with water or loud singing activates our vocal cords which in turn stimulates the vagus nerve. Foot massage: gentle or firm touch can assist in stimulation the vagus nerve.
In a vagus nerve massage, moderate pressure is applied to the area between the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles in the neck/shoulder area and at the muscles below the base of the skull, with twisting or stroking motions [1].
There are two main causes of vagus nerve dysfunction: previous infection or inflammation and physical or psychological stress.
In Chinese medicine, different parts of our body correlate with different specific reflexology or pressure points. The vagus nerve point for your hand is right inside of the pinky, for example. This is great because it's so accessible during the course of your day.
The vagus nerve plays a big role in the speed of digestion. At the same time, it transmits signals from your gut to your brain. As such, it might come as no surprise that stimulating the vagus nerve can help with a number of digestion-related illnesses, including inflammatory bowel disease.
Chronic stress can worsen symptoms of a dysfunctional vagus nerve. To reduce stress, make lifestyle changes like getting regular exercise, practicing meditation or yoga, and getting enough sleep. You may also want to try relaxation techniques like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation.
A neurosurgeon will perform VNS, either in a hospital or an outpatient clinic. It is a minimally invasive procedure that can take up to 90 minutes.
Considering the course of the vagal nerve in the cervical region, it is thought that conditions such as stiffness, tightness and decreased elasticity in this region may compress the vagal nerve andmay affect vagal function.
Research shows that Chriocpic adjustments can improve HRV by bossing the health function of the vagus nerve. By enhancing the vagus nerve, you will improve the way your entire nervous system functions. Resulting in lowering your risk for chronic disease and increasing your life span.
In other words, vitamin C increases the ability of the autonomic nervous system, especially the vagus nerve, to respond to pressure variations.
Lavender tea
Lavender is known to reboot our nervous system and this soothes the vagus nerve and can activate the natural healing capacity of our body. Lavender tea is also known to relieve feelings of anxiety and depression among adults.
“The mammalian vagus nerve regenerates poorly after injury, which can result in loss of speech, difficulty swallowing, abnormal heart rate, and gastroparesis [improper stomach emptying],” the authors explain. In zebrafish, on the other hand, nerve regeneration is generally very successful.
Exercise, especially activities that get your heart rate up, offers a great way to tone your vagus nerve. A small 2016 study found that participants who performed one cycling session experienced increased vagus nerve activity. Other ideas to try include: Brisk walking.
Another study showed that acupuncture can help stimulate the vagus nerve which in turn has anti-inflammatory effects on the body. “The present study provides evidence that AS (acupuncture stimulation) transmits signals into the vagus nerve and mediates anti-inflammatory responses in the spleen.