Out of the trillions of nerves that are in your body, you’ve probably only heard one of them being buzzed about: the vagus nerve. It holds the potential to impact both major and minor health conditions, but what’s really intriguing is that (to a certain extent) you can manipulate it yourself to help it work better for you—so you can feel your best.
The vagus nerve originates in the brain and stretches from the base of your brain down your neck, then through your diaphragm, heart, lungs, and digestive tract—and research shows that it plays an integral role in mental and physical well-being. Here’s what the vagus nerve does, plus how to activate it to boost your health and support healthy aging.
What Does the Vagus Nerve Do?
Some of the vagus’s best-known functions involve the parasympathetic nervous system, through which it influences alertness and relaxation, but the vagus nerve also plays a role in other aspects of good health.
Helps Relieve Stress
When you’re feeling stressed, the vagus nerve can trigger the release of chemicals that help you feel calm and relaxed, counteracting your body’s natural stress response (such as raising cortisol levels) and helping to keep your nervous system in balance and your mind chilled out.
Eases Headaches
In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a handheld vagus nerve stimulator for use in the prevention of cluster headaches and migraines in adults after research showed that it could help lower the number of headache attacks per week compared with treatment with just medication. Placed over the nerve in the neck, it delivers mild electrical stimulation. The device can be used daily, either during a period of cluster headaches or year-round, depending on a physician’s recommendation.
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Boosts Mental Health
Research shows that vagus nerve stimulation may effectively help reduce symptoms of treatment-resistant depression, and it could also have positive benefits for some people with bipolar disorder and anxiety.
Prevents Seizures
Vagal stimulation has been an option for some people with epilepsy since 1997, when the FDA approved a pacemaker-like device that sends electrical impulses to the nerve, helping prevent seizures in people whose epilepsy doesn’t respond to other treatments.
Supports Stroke Recovery
Some research suggests that when paired with a rehabilitation treatment plan, vagus nerve stimulation may help treat people with long-term moderate-to-severe arm impairment after a stroke.
How to Activate the Vagus Nerve
The simplest way to influence your vagus nerve may be to regularly practice deep breathing. The trick to activating the body’s relaxation response is to make your exhalations twice as long as your inhalations.
Try the “4-7-8 Breath”: Inhale through your nose for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, and exhale through your mouth for a count of eight. Do eight cycles of this at least twice a day, especially when stressed.
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