Vasovagal syncope occurs when a vagus nerve to your heart overreacts to certain situations like extreme heat, anxiety, hunger, pain or stress. Blood pressure drops very quickly (orthostatic hypotension), making you feel dizzy or faint.
Alternate-nostril breathing. Apply cold compresses to your face and the back of your neck. Be quiet. Breathe deeply and slowly.
There are two main causes of vagus nerve dysfunction: previous infection or inflammation and physical or psychological stress.
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.
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.
Your exhale should be long and slow. This is key to stimulating the vagus nerve and reaching a state of relaxation. The vagus nerve is connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat. Singing, humming, chanting and gargling can activate these muscles and stimulate your vagus nerve.
Any kind of GI distress can put pressure on the Vagus nerve and irritate it resulting in further problems. An excess of alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine can inflame the nerve. As we now know, our gut is considered to be our “second brain”, also known as our enteric nervous system.
Vagus Nerve Damage
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 most important function of the vagus nerve is afferent, bringing information of the inner organs, such as gut, liver, heart, and lungs to the brain. This suggests that the inner organs are major sources of sensory information to the brain.
1. Breathe deep. Breathing exercises are often recommended when it comes to stress and anxiety, and here's another great reason to give it a try. When we breathe deep and slow from our abdomen, we stimulate the vagus nerve.
The nerve touches all our digestive organs, as well as heart rate and breathing. It's involved in controlling many of your digestive functions, which if not functioning well, can affect constipation.
Drinking cold water or splashing cold water on your face may be enough to stimulate your vagus nerve. You can also take cold showers, and take a swim in an unheated pool. Check out Vim Hoff for more information on this. Yoga increases vagus nerve activity and your parasympathetic system.
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. Cold water face immersion: immerse your forehead eyes and at least 2/3 of both cheeks into cold water.
Vagus nerve massage is an effective way to improve vagal tone and promote improved mental health and well-being. Although there are several ways to stimulate and massage the vagus nerve, such as chest tapping, gargling, and cold exposure, not all of these techniques are effective and proven to work the same way.
One way to try stimulating the vagus nerve is by placing an ice pack on your neck or chest. The research on this sleep hack is still very limited, but a small study from 2018 found that applying something cold to the outside of the neck can slow down the heart rate and increase vagal nerve activation.
The right vagus nerve (more so than the left) innervates the SA node and the AV node off the heart. (This is why vagus nerve stimulators are placed on the left side).
To perform this exercise, use a small to medium-sized ball, preferably soft, and gently place it on the left side of the upper neck right under your ear. You will compress, shear, and lengthen, by placing some pressure into the tissue and then gently twisting the ball across the neck.
High levels of stress and anxiety can also trigger the vagus nerve. When overstimulated, it can cause symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness and abdomen pain. However, it is possible to soothe and relax the vagus nerve by utilising breathing exercises that slow the heart rate and relax the body.