Your body is an intelligent, intricately connected system that works overtime to keep you healthy and in a state of equilibrium. Often overlooked, the vagus nerve is a profound key to the equilibrium of your nervous system, specifically, your autonomic nervous system.
The vagus nerve plays a key role in nearly every aspect of your overall health and wellness, from neurotransmitter management and gut-brain axis communication to inflammation prevention, hormonal balance, and more.
Vagus nerve dysfunction can have varying and widespread manifestations. By understanding what the vagus nerve is, what it does, and how we can improve its function, we’re able to make small changes that influence our overall health for the better.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
Aptly called the “Wanderer” due to its branching nature, the vagus nerve is the longest and most complex of all cranial nerves in the human body. It runs from the brain stem through the neck and thoracic region, all the way down to the abdomen.
The vagus nerve connects many of the body’s organ systems, including the vocal cords, heart, stomach, and lungs. It carries information about the state of these organs back to your brain, which then regulates essential body functions based on that information.
What Does the Vagus Nerve Do?
The vagus nerve is a two-way information highway between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract. It transmits a complex array of messages between the brain, digestive system, and organs.
The vagus nerve is an integral component of the gut-brain axis (GBA), which is controlled by millions of neurons that run throughout the nervous system. When you’re nervous, and your stomach feels queasy, or your mouth waters at the scent of your favorite food, these are signals that your gut and brain are communicating with each other along the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve provides the central nervous system with vital information about the function of your internal organs, particularly the lungs, heart, liver, and gut. It’s responsible for the regulation of numerous body functions, including heart rate, inflammatory response, respiration, and digestion.
The vagus nerve is also intricately involved with the cognitive and emotional centers of the brain, so it plays a major role in stress management, brain function, and mood. The vagus nerve also controls sensory functions like the gag reflex and taste sensations.
The Vagus Nerve and the Parasympathetic Nervous System
The vagus nerve is one of the primary drivers of the parasympathetic nervous system. It regulates the body’s rest and digest functions, working as a counterbalance to the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates the body’s fight or flight response.
In other words, the vagus nerve is responsible for activating the sense of calm you feel when you hug a loved one, as well as that intuitive gut feeling that someone or something isn’t quite right.
How Does Vagal Nerve Function Affect Our Health?
Science has yet to discover all of the ways vagus nerve function impacts our health, but we do know that it has a major influence on the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and our rest and digest response.
Here’s a look at three key ways the vagus nerve impacts our bodies and overall health.
- Digestion
When you digest food, the vagus nerve recognizes changes in the microbiome of the gut and sends this information to the brain. When your vagus nerve is functioning optimally, the brain responds with the correct digestive response right away.
For example, when you eat inflammatory foods, such as dairy products or gluten, the vagus nerve alerts the brain. The brain then alerts the immune system to initiate an inflammatory response. It’s a bit like contacting the fire department to put out a fire.
When the vagus nerve isn’t functioning properly, this signal may be weak, and the brain might not receive important information. If the vagus nerve isn’t alerting the brain about the inflammation properly, the inflammation can become chronic and lead to various health issues.
- Stress and Mental Health
The vagus nerve plays a role in mental health, as well. The vagus nerve counterbalances the stress response, which triggers the release of cortisol. When cortisol levels are elevated, the vagus nerve tells the brain to release feel-good hormones like serotonin and endorphins to balance the stress response.
- Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
In addition to sending signals to the gut, the vagus nerve also sends signals to the brain to regulate heart rate and blood pressure. As mentioned above, when you’re under stress, your brain triggers the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands. Elevated cortisol levels raise your heart rate and blood pressure.
The vagus nerve recognizes this increase and sends a vagal nerve tone to the brain, signaling it to calm down. The brain then triggers the release of serotonin, which lowers blood pressure and heart rate.
What is Vagus Nerve Dysfunction?
The primary jobs of the vagus nerve are regulating blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, and mood. But it also helps to control your speech, urine output, saliva production, muscle movement, and more. When the vagus nerve doesn’t regulate these bodily functions the way it should, it’s called vagus nerve dysfunction.
Sometimes, the vagus nerve overreacts and becomes overstimulated, potentially due to stress, hormonal imbalance, or inflammation. This type of vagus nerve dysfunction can cause a sudden drop in heart rate, known as vasovagal syncope, which can lead to symptoms like fainting, fatigue, blurred vision, sweating, or ringing in the ears.
What Causes Dysfunction of the Vagus Nerve?
So, what can go wrong with the vagus nerve? It turns out, vagus nerve dysfunction can stem from a variety of physiological and psychological causes. For example, vagus nerve function may be impaired by chronic stress, emotional stress, unresolved trauma, or PTSD.
Your brain processes any situation that exceeds your ability to cope as trauma. So, childhood events that you could easily cope with as an adult may have been perceived as trauma at the time, impacting your vagus nerve function and related aspects of your health well into adulthood.
Physical damage to the vagus nerve caused by surgery or disease can also result in a dysfunctional vagus nerve. Viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections, as well as exposure to mold and toxins, may also be linked to vagus nerve dysfunction.
What are the Symptoms of a Dysfunctional Vagus Nerve?
When the vagus nerve becomes dysregulated or weak, you will struggle to tap into your rest and digest mode. This can lead to feelings of agitation and anxiety, but the signs and symptoms of a dysfunctional vagus nerve are varied. They can include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Aggression
- Struggle to form relationships
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Indecision
- Chronic inflammation
- Difficulty concentrating or brain fog
- Dizziness or fainting
- Frequent flight, fright, or freeze reactions
Conditions Associated with Vagal Nerve Dysfunction
Because the vagus nerve regulates your hormones, fertility, digestion, kidney function, blood sugar, hunger, and more, it can be an underlying factor in many physical conditions, as well.
- Fast or slow heart rate
- High or low blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease and IBS
- Digestive issues like heartburn, nausea, and constipation
- Poor immune function
- Chronic inflammation
- Autoimmune conditions
- Chronic fatigue
- Gastroparesis or delayed stomach emptying
- Chronic headaches and migraines
- Unexplained weight gain
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Testing Vagus Nerve Function
In our practice, we can assess your vagus by functions of the autonomic nervous system. Did you know that an elevated resting heart rate (technically a resting heart rate above 60 beats per minute,) is already a hint that your parasympathetic system is underactive? We also understand digestive imbalances, to at least be, in part, informed by vagus nerve dysfunction.
However, diagnosing vagus nerve dysfunction is only half of the battle. We offer a variety of comprehensive lab tests and assessments to get to the root cause of issues that are preventing your vagus nerve from functioning at its best. This often includes autonomic response testing, as well as laboratory tests for nutrient deficiencies, toxins, underlying infections, and more.
How to Heal the Vagus Nerve
At Rahav Wellness, our mission is to help you identify the underlying issues causing your vagus nerve dysfunction and collaborate on strategies to heal the vagus nerve naturally. Here are some of the strategies we may suggest to our patients:
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Devices that emit short electrical pulses, called vagus nerve stimulators, can be used to stimulate the vagus nerve and improve vagal tone. In our practice, we can actually stimulate the vagus with the strategic use of neural therapy.
- Nutrition Therapy: Vitamin and nutrient repletion through diet, supplements, and tailored IV infusions can improve vagus nerve function by strengthening the myelin sheath that protects and insulates the nerve fibers. Zinc is also thought to support the vagus.
- Nutraceutical and Botanical Supplements: Certain nutraceutical and botanical supplements are beneficial for healing the vagus nerve. For example, bitters, or bitter-tasting herbs, can stimulate the vagus nerve by sending stimuli to the brain. Adaptogens that support a balanced stress response may also be beneficial, in addition to herbs that promote healthy heart function.
- Vibration Therapy: Breathwork, humming, gargling, chanting, and singing can all stimulate vagus nerve activity by creating vibration. Stimulation of the vagus nerve through HUSO sound therapy can also help improve vagus nerve tone and balance the autonomic nervous system.
- Manipulation: Nerves can benefit from stimulation, much like joints and ligaments. Chiropractic manipulation may improve heart rate variability by boosting vagus nerve function, while massage has been shown to stimulate vagal nerve function and reduce seizures in patients with epilepsy.
- Posture Correction: Poor posture can compress the vagus nerve and disrupt signaling between the brain and the body. In particular, the hunched-over posture that comes with sitting in front of a computer all day has become a common problem. A foam roller or SD Posture Correction Device can release pressure on the vagus nerve by helping to improve posture.
- Cold Exposure: Cold exposure through cryotherapy, cold showers, or swimming in cold water can stimulate the vagus nerve. It may boost immune health, digestion, energy levels, mental focus, and emotional well-being.
Some easy strategies you can use at home to strengthen your vagus nerve include connecting with nature, diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing, and exercising regularly. Simple everyday acts like having an attitude of gratitude, laughing, and smiling will also improve vagal nerve tone and benefit your mental health.
Functional Medicine for Vagus Nerve Dysfunction
Vagus nerve dysfunction is often the result of hidden imbalances in the body. Our functional medicine services are designed to discover those imbalances and address them through a holistic approach that promotes balance now and well into the future.
As part of our collaborative approach to optimal health, we’ll get a clear picture of what your body needs to restore vagus nerve function. Then, we’ll provide natural strategies and lifestyle support to encourage your body’s ability to heal and thrive. Reach out to our office to discover what a personalized journey to better health might look like for you.