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
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.