What happens in "Vegas"doesn't stay in "Vagus"with this one!
So today we're going to talk about a different kind of "Vegas". It's our "Vagus Nerve". To me . . . this is another very important part of our health and body which not many of us even know about. This is important because the Vagus Nerve carries "sensory" information from internal organs back to the brain.
We have twelve pairs of cranial nerves in the body, with the Vagus nerve being number ten. These pairs run from the base of the skull down each side of the body. The reason I feel this nerve is so important to optimal health . . . is that it connects the brain to the gut and "everything" in between. This nerve plays a crucial role in GI (gastrointestinal) functions such as food intake, digestion, and GI barrier function, which is an important feature that acts as a barrier to prevent the passage of harmful entitles including foreign antigens (we spoke of antigens in a previous Health Tip), microorganisms or even this "Virus" and their toxins into the body.
So if the "Vagus Nerve" is working correctly . . . these are the functions that it provides for the body. As I said . . . this nerve carries "sensory" information. Like a super information highway!
These are its functions if "working correctly":
1. Brain - control anxiety and mood
2. Eyes - activates tear production
3. Ears - activates sound stimulation (if not functioning correctly it can cause vertigo and hearing loss)
4. Mouth and Tongue - controls ability to taste and saliva production
5. Throat and Esophagus - controls muscle movement to push food down to the stomach
6. Heart - control heart rate and blood pressure (stabilizes them)
7. Lungs - when the lungs expand during normal shallow breathing, that stimulates the vagus nerve to send a message to the brain to constrict the bronchi, making breathing more difficult. Therefore, making you exhale.
8. Spleen - helps to reduce inflammation
9. Pancreas - control blood sugar balance and digestive enzymes
10. Gut - increases stomach acidity and enzyme production for optimal digestion
11.- Liver - controls bile release and detoxification
12. Gallbladder - controls bile release to breakdown "fat"
13. Kidneys - promotes general functions including water balance, glucose control and sodium excretion - which helps control blood pressure
14.- Bladder - controls voiding urine (so you don't pee in your pants)
15. Sex Organs - controls fertility and sexual pleasure including orgasms (can I say that on facebook?)
So you can now understand why I feel this nerve is one of the most important parts of the body for optimal health.
But if this nerve is "not" functioning properly . . . it's called "Lower Vagus Tone". and any of the 15 functions I just listed can go array. You could have dry eyes or mouth. You could feel like you have food stuck in your throat when you eat or chronic inflammation. Or diabetes. heartburn or acid reflux. You could have to be on forced oxygen to breath. You could have a hard time losing weight or have water retention. Or maybe you pee when you laugh or cough. Or maybe you're having a hard time conceiving or worse yet your sex drive isn't what it used to be. These are all symptoms and side effects of a Vagus Nerve that isn't functioning as it should.
So set up your consultation with me to see how we can correct your Vagus Nerve.