All About Your Vagus Nerve

Are you aware of how important the Vagus nerve is and the impact it has on all of your body functions?

The vagus nerve is 10th cranial nerve, one of your most important nerves in the body. It is also the longest nerve in your autonomic nervous system that extends from your brain stem through your neck into your chest and abdomen. While we refer to them together as ‘the vagus nerve,’ there are actually two vagus nerves, one on the left and one on the right. Vagus is latin for “wandering,” which appropriately describes the nerve.

It helps to regulate our heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, sweating, and speech, among other areas of your health. By controlling the muscles of your throat and voice box, it plays an important role of speaking and eating. It also helps your entire gastrointestinal tract working together, regulating your heart rate, and connecting your brain to the rest of your body. Excessive vagus nerve function can result in nervous system issues and can present in dysautonomias, which are conditions in which the autonomic nervous system (ANS) does not work properly, such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. If the vagus nerve is suddenly stimulated, it may result in a vasovagal reflex that may lead to a slowing heart rate, sudden blood pressure drop, pain, sudden stress, or gastrointestinal symptoms.

On the other hand, stimulating the vagus nerve also offers some benefits, including stopping hiccups or supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and diagnosing heart murmurs.

Major Causes of Poor Vagal Tone

-Chronic stress and poor sleep

-Early childhood trauma

-Head Injuries

-Poor Breathing Mechanics

-Chronic Infections

-Blood Sugar Imbalances

-High Toxin Load

How to test Vagal Tone

-Pupilary constriction test

-Heart rate to breathe rate comparison

-Heart Rate Variability

-Blood Pressure

-Orthostatic Hypotension

Natural Techniques to Stimulate Vagus Nerve

-Cold Exposure

-Singing

-Exercise

-Omega 3’s

-Laughing

-Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing

-Gargling

-Yoga

-Thoughtful Meditation

-Socializing/Laughing

-Reduce EMF Exposure

-Try PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field)

If Vagal Nerve Dysfunction is not addressed, it can progress to:

-Alcohol Addiction

-Eating Disorders

-Chronic Heart Faillure

-Fibromylagia

-Leaky Gut Syndrome

-Memory Disorders/Alzheimers

-Migraines

-Mood Disorders

-Multiple Sclerosis

-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

-Tinnitus and more