The Best-Kept Secret to Overall Health: the Vagus Nerve
Mascari, Brooke. October 9th, 2024.
The vagus nerve is considered the most important nerve in the body for mental, emotional, and physical health. The vagus nerve is the only cranial nerve that stretches through the entire body; above and below the diaphragm. The vagus nerve sends messages to the brain about the state of your heart, lungs, and digestion. These messages are part of the continual communication between the mind and body. Every cell in our body “eavesdrops” on this conversation created by the vagus nerve.
When the vagus nerve is healthy and has good tone, every aspect of the body-mind system benefits. When it has poor tone, many deficits and problems can occur.
The vagus nerve plays a central role in regulating a wide range of involuntary bodily functions like heart rate, digestion, breathing, and mood. It allows the body to maintain homeostasis and respond to stressful situations effectively. Damage to the vagus nerve can lead to significant disruptions in vital functions and poor vagal tone can cause disruptions in the nervous system making us feel stress, anxiety, depression, and others more frequently.
The vagus nerve controls:
Autonomic nervous system. It is a major component of the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the "rest and digest" response, counteracting the "fight or flight" response.
Gut-brain axis. The vagus nerve is crucial for communication between the gut and brain, impacting digestion, microbiome, mood, and mental health.
Inflammation regulation. Research suggests the vagus nerve helps regulate the body's inflammatory response, potentially impacting the development of chronic diseases.
Heart rate control. By sending signals to the heart, the vagus nerve helps maintain a steady heart rate.
Immune response: The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which also controls the immune system and body’s resiliency.
Stimulating the vagus nerve can help you relax and de-stress, which can lead to improvements in mood, pain management, and well-being.
Let’s see what a healthy and unhealthy vagus nerve is like so we can take steps to experience a healthy vagus nerve, and as a result, a happy healthy body-mind!
How the vagus nerve gets damaged:
Anything that the body finds stressful can damage the vagus nerve. Likewise, anything the body physiologically detects as healthy will strengthen the vagus nerve!
Our bodies are smarter than our ego-centered lifestyles and that is thanks to the work our vagus nerve does to keep our autonomic nervous system balanced. The vagus nerve can also represent the “gut feeling” about a bad, unhealthy, or dangerous situation. It is always trying to protect you. You want to optimize your vagal tone so it can keep you alive and help you to thrive!
The vagus nerve protects us from emotional and autoimmune challenges. This includes the interpretation of loud, potentially damaging noises, past emotional traumas, current stress stimulations, infections, heavy metal exposure, chemical exposure, pollutants, toxins, and other outside stimulus.
How to know if your vagus nerve is damaged or injured:
When the vagus nerve gets damaged, there can be pain in the neck - but other weird symptoms can present themselves as well.
The voice and throat will develop issues as well as an increased heart rate, brain fog, excessively high or low blood pressure, and gut problems.
Here are some specific conditions to look for:
Vocal cord issues that cause a hoarse, wheezing voice or loss of voice entirely
No gag reflex at all (which is a common test for vagus nerve dysfunction), along with the inability to swallow
Pain in the ear, along with the neck
Excessive changes in blood pressure accompanied by a high heart rate
Nausea & vomiting
Pain in the gut, typically accompanied by bloating
Decreased production of stomach acid, sometimes accompanied by dry heaving
Consistent bad mood
Difficulty regulating emotions, anxiety, depression, or "flight, fight, or freeze" reactions
Acid reflux, bloating, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, digestive issues, or delayed gastric emptying
Overall pain in the body
Unexplained weight loss
Because this nerve extends from the brain, into the cervical region, and eventually down into the gut, there are a lot of places that can experience issues from a damaged/injured vagus nerve. The specific location and the extent of damage will determine what symptoms are present, and how serious they are.
How to measure the health of your vagus nerve:
Heart rate variability (HRV) is one of the ways you can measure your vagal tone and can be a great indicator of overall health and the body’s ability to heal.
When you tell a lie (even a lie you think is necessary) your HRV will go down.
There are other things people are culturally accustomed to that reduce HRV. Chewing gum, for example. People chew gum because they like it, and many people would tell you that it makes them feel good. But physiologically speaking, chewing gum is stressful.
Check your HRV when you are chewing gum and you will see it decrease. Chewing gum, therefore, decreases vagal tone! It takes a lot of work from your masseter muscles and other facial muscles to chew gum, which stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which ultimately stimulates your sympathetic nervous system putting your body into a state of stress!
On the other hand, spend time playing with a kitten, puppy, or bunny and you will see your HRV go up. Smile more and your HRV will go up. Complain, and it goes down. It’s that simple!
How to heal and strengthen the vagus nerve:
Alternate-nostril breathing - Nadi Shodhana breathing
Vagal Breathing - several slow intentional breaths through the nose in a quiet environment while keeping the awareness on the breath. Preferably for 5-10 minutes.
Apply cold compresses to your face and the back of your neck
Be quiet; rest
Breathing deeply and slowly many times throughout daily activities
Compliment others
Connect with nature
Diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) - the slower the better
Eat a whole-food nutrient-rich diet
Exercise
Expose your skin to sunlight
Have an attitude of gratitude
Hum (such as a rhythmic Om)
Laugh and giggle often
Listen to calming instrumental music versus amped-up, heavy music
Listen to music with uplifting, happy, grateful lyrics versus complaining, bitter, spiteful lyrics
Sing (make a joyful noise!)
Massage
Meditate
Perform daily activities slowly and intentionally rather than rushed and chaotically
Nostril breathing (versus mouth breathing)
Set intentions for your healing and desire healing for others (including those who you may see as “enemies” or ones who have hurt you); practicing forgiveness
Reflexology
Regularly move your body - avoid being sedentary for long periods
Say “Thank you”
Smile as much as possible
Take probiotics or eat probiotic foods
Visit with people who lift your spirit versus people who drain you or make you feel upset
Lying on your back with ice packs on your chest
Neck and ear massages
Eye exercises
Make it applicable:
Take breaks throughout the day to quiet your mind. You can even do a mindfulness meditation at any moment where you pause, take notice of your surroundings, and breathe. This helps you align with the present moment and get the vagus nerve engaged and healthy. Intentional slow deep breathing is the fastest way to stimulate the vagus nerve and keep it healthy and toned.
Exercise boosts the number of blood vessels that fuel your brain, spurs the development of new thought pathways, enhances connectivity between brain cells, and stimulates the vagus nerve. There’s even evidence that exercise outperforms medication for many intractable conditions, including depression, anxiety, and memory loss. So, on your journey of vagus nerve health, don’t forget to move! Try endurance activities such as jogging, cycling, and swimming. Research suggests that endurance and interval training stimulate the vagus nerve and control parasympathetic activity in the brain. That may be one reason why athletes report reaching a sort of “high” during long-distance runs.
Get a massage! All types of massage, from the scalp to the feet, help stimulate the vagus nerve. One exception: a deep tissue massage or massage that you find painful, can trigger the “fight or flight” response. Gentle and moderate pressure is best, and the primary areas of focus should be the neck, shoulders, and feet. Studies show that foot reflexology (a type of massage) can boost vagus nerve activity and reduce blood pressure. Give yourself regular neck and shoulder massages! Rub the soles of your feet in short strokes, and do yoga poses that help release the kinks in your body.
Short-term exposure to very cold temperatures helps stimulate vagus nerve pathways and reduces the body’s natural stress response. Research shows that immersing yourself in cold water can help slow your heart rate and redirect blood flow to your brain. Try finishing your shower with a cold-water rinse, starting with 30 seconds and increasing the duration over time. Wash your face with cold water at the end of a long day, or if you’re really brave, take a dip in ice-cold water.
Get inspired! The experience of awe is one way to get the vagus nerve humming. “When we engage with something greater than ourselves and feel a sense of connection to others and the outside world, it activates the vagus nerve—which can help lower blood pressure, inhibit the stress response, and reduce inflammation. It can also increase heart rate variability (a biomarker of improved health and vagus nerve health), reduce pain, and improve sleep and mood.” (Williams)
Engage in activities that create a sense of awe and wonder. Take walks in nature (without your phone), listen to inspiring music, and cultivate relationships that create a sense of purpose and meaning!
Love and blessings on your journey to health and balance,
Havah Holistic Health
Sources:
Hamada Y, Yanoaka T. The effects of gum chewing while walking on physical and physiological functions. J Phys Ther Sci. 2018;30:625-629.
Vernon B. Williams, MD, sports neurologist at Cedars-Sinai.
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/stimulating-the-vagus-nerve.html