What is the Vagus Nerve, exactly?
Many people don’t know much about vagus nerves because they are a very mysterious topic. Often, people don’t even know it’s there until it gets hurt or pinched, which is when the problem starts. There are 12 nerves in the neck. It starts in the brain and goes through the spinal cord and the portion of our bodies.
The word “vagus” comes from the Latin word for “wandering,” which is what this nerve does: it jumps around our bodies. Even though you might not have known about it before today, it serves a number of different purposes.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System’s Leader
The American Council on Exercise says that the vagus nerve is the most important part of the parasympathetic system. This implies that it’s a very important part of how the stomach, intestines, heart, and other parts of the body work. Since the nerve goes to the stomach, if you feel like something is wrong in your stomach, it may be due to this nerve.
What kinds of problems are caused by the vagus nerve?
When the Vagus Nerve is stimulated, different things can happen. Most are negative. It’s noteworthy that neck pain is just one of them. Aside from anxiety and depression, which have already been mentioned, other signs include epilepsy, migraines, arthritis, and so on. Another interesting link between the vagus nerve as well as the heart is that itchiness or inflammation can make it harder for the body to keep the heart rate in check, which can lead to tachycardia.
It is clear that the nerves in the head interact with organs all over the body, which makes it hard to figure out what causes what.
Vagus Nerve Damage
If the vagus nerve gets injured, you might feel pain in your neck, but you might also have other strange symptoms. Here are a few of the most common warning signs:
- Hearing and neck ringing
- Dramatic fluctuations in blood pressure that come with a faster heart rate
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation often comes after stomach pain.
