What are the signs of a potential vagus nerve problem? 

Complications associated with the vagus nerve may have different symptoms depending on the location of the affected nerve (Bunch et al., 2008; Sibilla etal., 2017). You may experience:

  • Supranuclear lesions:
    • moderate to severe dysarthria and dysphonia (depending on severity, pseudobulbar palsy may develop).
  • Medullary lesions:
    • stroke
    • inflammatory/demyelinating diseases
    • dysarthria and dysphonia without contralateral hemiparesis
    • bradycardia
    • hypotension sudden decreases in skin temperature
    • vasovagal syncope
  • Extracranial lesions:
    • increased sympathetic activity
    • hoarseness due to laryngeal muscle paralysis
    • inspiratory stridor
    • dysphonia to complete aphonia
  • Gastroparesis and pyloric spasm:
    • abdominal bloating
    • pain
    • nausea
    • early or easy satiety
    • weight loss
  • Acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease, GERD)
  • Changes to heart rate, blood pressure or blood sugar
  • Difficulty swallowing or loss of gag reflex
  • Dizziness or fainting

(https://my.clevelandclinic.org/)

KNOWLEDGE HUB

The Byond Healthcare knowledge hub shares expert content about the vagus nerve and the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation, with a specific focus on non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, with individuals, healthcare providers and medical representatives.

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