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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Longest Nerve in the Body

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Like a highway system, the vagus nerve branches profusely from your brain through your organs to marshal bodily functions, including aspects of the mind such as mood, pleasure and fear

The vagus nerve sprawls from the brain through the body, innervating our organs and managing life support and emotion
The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine.

It is late at night. You are alone and wandering empty streets in search of your parked car when you hear footsteps creeping up from behind. Your heart pounds; your blood pressure skyrockets. Goose bumps appear on your arms, sweat on your palms. Your stomach knots, and your muscles coil, ready to sprint or fight…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Now imagine the same scene, but without any of the body’s innate responses to an external threat. Would you still feel afraid?

Experiences like this reveal the tight integration between brain and body in the creation of mind—the collage of thoughts, perceptions, feelings and personality unique to each of us. The capabilities of the brain alone are astonishing. The supreme organ gives most people a vivid sensory perception of the world. It can preserve memories, enable us to learn and speak, generate emotions and consciousness. But those who might attempt to preserve their mind by uploading its data into a computer miss a critical point: The body is essential to the mind.

How is this crucial brain-body connection orchestrated? The answer involves the very unusual vagus nerve. The longest nerve in the body, it wends its way from the brain throughout the head and trunk, issuing commands to our organs and receiving sensations from them. Much of the bewildering range of functions it regulates, such as mood, learning, sexual arousal and fear, are automatic and operate without conscious control. These complex responses engage a constellation of cerebral circuits that link brain and body. The vagus nerve is, in one way of thinking, the conduit of the mind.

Nerves are typically named for the specific functions they perform. Optic nerves carry signals from the eyes to the brain for vision. Auditory nerves conduct acoustic information for hearing. The best that early anatomists could do with this nerve, however, was to call it the “vagus,” from the Latin for “wandering.” The wandering nerve was apparent to the first anatomists, notably Galen, the Greek polymath who lived until around the year 216. But centuries of study were required to grasp its complex anatomy and function. This effort is ongoing: Research on the vagus nerve is at the forefront of neuroscience today.

The most vigorous current research involves stimulating this nerve with electricity to enhance cognition and memory, and for a smorgasbord of therapies for neurological and psychological disorders, including migraine, tinnitus, obesity, pain, drug addiction and more. But how could stimulating a single nerve potentially have such wide-ranging psychological and cognitive benefits? To understand this, we must understand the vagus nerve itself.

The vagus nerve originates from four clusters of neurons in the brain’s medulla, where the brainstem attaches to the spinal cord. Most nerves in our body branch directly from the spinal cord: They are threaded between the vertebrae in our backbone in a series of lateral bands to carry information into and out of the brain. But not the vagus. The vagus nerve is one of 13 nerves that leave the brain directly through special holes in the skull. From there it sprouts thickets of branches that reach almost everywhere in the head and trunk. The vagus also radiates from two major clusters of outpost neurons, called ganglia, stationed in critical spots in the body. For example, a large cluster of vagal neurons clings like a vine to the carotid artery in your neck. Its nerve fibers follow this network of blood vessels throughout your body to reach vital organs, from the heart and lungs to the gut.

The vagus nerve connects the brainstem to the body’s organs. Mark Belan for Quanta Magazine

As with the brain itself, with its mirrored left and right hemispheres, we have left and right vagus nerve branches, which connect to the two hemispheres. But the organs in our body are not bilaterally symmetrical: The heart is on the left side, and the liver is on the right, for example. The right vagal nerve, then, is longer than the left, and the two sides have distinct functions because of the different organs they entwine. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

It feels particularly apt to compare the vagus nerve to a highway network, with paths diverging, branching off again and again, and sometimes coming back together. Just as roads are given different names, many vagus nerve branches are given distinct names for the destinations they reach. They might run in tandem with the main sections of the vagus for brief intervals before separating again.

All complex body systems require the equivalent of brakes and a gas pedal to maintain control, and the vagus nerve serves these roles for many of our innate responses, nearly all of which occur involuntarily. Signals between the brainstem and the body travel up and down the nerve to twist your gut for digestion, marshal your immune system to keep microbial threats at bay, pace your heart, and dial your blood pressure up and down. The vagus nerve squeezes your bronchial tubes to pipe air into your lungs, triggers your gag reflex and makes you cough.

Its influence goes beyond basic life support: The vagus nerve is critical to generating mind by integrating the brain and body. Choking is terrifying because death could be mere minutes away. That heightened mental state is dependent on signals coming from the body—the inability to breathe or swallow—and the vagus nerve both senses and controls the choking response. If your heart suddenly starts racing, you might experience a panic attack; controlling heart rate is a prime function of the vagus nerve. Many other mental states, sexual arousal for example, depend on the mind-body connection that involves information going to the brain (sensual touching, for example) and out of the brain (to arouse bodily responses). The vagus nerve is that connection. Its length and widespread nature throughout the brain as well as the body allow it to coordinate such diverse bodily functions in a way that independent nerves could not.

The primary function of the vagus nerve is to dampen the body’s responses. After a fear episode, for example, the body’s powerful, life-saving threat response must be terminated to restore resting heartbeat, respiration, blood flow and the rest. So powerful is its influence, the vagus nerve can literally stop the beating heart. Conversely, the vagus nerve can also stimulate bodily responses by releasing the brakes to accelerate.

The calming action of the vagus nerve is the biological basis for new therapies that aim to stimulate the nerve to quell seizures, relieve anxiety disorders, cool the body’s inflammatory response and stanch a migraine attack, among a long list of potential treatments. Unlike deep-brain stimulation, which is used to treat some of the same conditions, vagal nerve stimulation can be accomplished without neurosurgery. It is possible to stimulate the nerve fibers with a mild electrical pulse by surgically inserting electrodes into the chest or, more simply, clipping them to an earlobe. The technique has been used to treat epilepsy and depression for decades, and in 2021 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it to treat mobility issues caused by stroke.

However, some people have taken the vagus nerve’s expansive bodily influence as an invitation to engage in pseudoscience. In some corners of the internet, so-called polyvagal therapy—physical or breathing exercises that some claim reset the vagus nerve—is proposed to address just about any disorder of the mind or body. There’s little to no evidence that these popular remedies are anything but placebos.

The vagus nerve doesn’t need to be a panacea to be remarkable—it’s worth appreciating all on its own. Without the expansive domain and potent impact of the body’s longest nerve, the crucial, highly coordinated link between brain and body would be broken, and many of our core emotions and experiences—fear, pleasure, rapid response to threats, the calming aftermath—would fail.

 

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Ladies Please Do Not Damage Your Womb, Stay Away From This Three Things

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The delight of each couple might be entire if the female takes in and awards after the marriage organization regardless while this doesn’t occur, there might be a way of thinking in ready as stand-separated solicitations can be introduced. As a female, how is it that it could be possible that you would understanding while you can’t hold after your wedding organization by ethicalness of a destroyed belly? Such endless associations have fallen thusly and this is the clarification I shaped this article.

The stomach of a young lady could be astoundingly touchy considering the way that it’s miles going to house the youth. That is the clarification satisfactory idea and interest should perceive to it…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Incredibly, such an immense heap of more young ladies have broken their stomach considering the sort of vulgarities they have participation in. Indecencies containing child ejection and utilization of being pregnant control tablets can pass a somewhat long way to deal with hurt the uterus. A few reliable conditions in addition can impact the uterus (stomach), which wires polyps, endometriosis, fibroids, adenomyosis, and hurtful turn of events.

Right when your stomach is impacted, there are positive coincidental impacts and signs your edge will begin to pass on you. Some of them intertwine;

.Trouble withinside the uterine region.

.Amazing or critical vaginal passing on.

.Unpredictable month to month cycle.

.Astonishing vaginal conveyance.

.Trouble withinside the pelvis, decline stomach or rectal area.

.Expanded genteel pulverizing. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

.Expanded pee.

.Trouble for the length of intercourse.

Certain lead can accomplish gut hurt. Some of them solidify;

1. Alcohol

Drinking liquor senselessly can hurt the stomach of a woman considering the pointless proportion of ethanol found in it. Studies have other than shown that solid ingesting in young ladies can reason changes in ovulation, cycle law and ovarian save. It additionally can save you right implantation withinside the uterus, achieving a sped up cost of early deficit of the being pregnant or resorption. This can emerge on a very basic level sooner than a woman remembers she is pregnant. Liquor likewise can hurt specific crucial organs withinside the bundling consequently avoid it.

2. Maltreatment of pills

is is the most extraordinarily horrendous exercise to have correspondence considering reality over the top cases can hurt the stomach to a huge volume expressly while battered. This other than will wind up being extra risky while a lady is pregnant. Maltreatment of medication finally of being pregnant can accomplish transport deserts, off-kilter kids, underweight infant kids, and stillborn births. Interminably conform to the docs course of action while killing compartments to keep from waist hurt.

3. Diverse sexual mates

A couple of sexual colleagues isn’t strong and might shoot the danger of your midriff being broken. Precisely when you have a couple of sexual accomplices, your shot at getting a STD furthermore increments. Aftermaths of STDs can cause vanity in youths particularly chlamydia and gonorrhea. The surprising strategy to avoid contamination of STDs is to limition the proportion of sexual accomplices and exercise secure sex. These disorders can assault your fallopian chambers and uterus until the end of time.

Dear women, you have been unequivocally and magnificently made and this is the clarification you should remain mindful of your self standard for marriage. Keep from those three matters above for your stomach.

A commitment of appreciation is all together for investigating.

 

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

16 easy and proven ways that will help you sleep at night like babies

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Sometimes you wait every day for that moment when you can get home and go to sleep, but then when that moment comes.. you lie awake for hours unable to fall asleep.

The stress of everyday life makes it a very common problem for millions of people all over the world. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

If you’ve experienced this yourself, try the ideas listed below. Each of them works great and will help you sleep perfectly at night and the next morning you wake up feeling full of energy. Good night for tiredness!

  1. Eat foods with magnesium. Researchers have found that magnesium plays a major role in our ability to sleep through the night. Try to chew foods rich in magnesium such as pumpkin seeds, spinach, and swiss chard. Or take a
    magnesium supplement about half an hour before bed…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
  2. A short nap in the middle of the day. A 10 to 30 minute nap in the middle of the day is great for ensuring you get a good night’s sleep. Sleep longer and you risk falling asleep late at night.
  3. Use the bedroom only for sleeping and relaxing. Keep your bed only for sleeping so that the brain associates the bedroom with sleep and relaxation. Sleep and sex, yes. Work and bills – not really.
  4. Keep a cool bedroom. Between 15-23 degrees celius is the ideal temperature. A warmer room leads to more awakenings in the middle of the night.
  5. Take a hot shower or bath before bed. This can help the brain to relax, while the rise and fall of body temperature leads to poor sleep.
  6. Wake up at a fixed time. Just as it’s best to go to bed at a fixed time every night. It would be a good idea to wake up at a fixed time in the morning – even on weekends. Irregular sleep, and getting up at irregular hours
    leads to poor sleep.
  7. Make up for missing hours of sleep. Have you stayed up late the last few nights? Go to bed an hour earlier today to make up for the missing hours.
  8. Don’t turn around in bed. Can’t fall asleep? If you lie awake for more than 20 minutes, get out of bed and try to do a relaxing activity such as reading a book or listening to relaxing music. Thinking that you don’t fall
    asleep only causes you not to fall asleep – it’s a vicious circle.
  9. Check the medicine cabinet. You may be taking medication that prevents you from falling asleep. Think one of the medications is the cause of poor sleep? Talk to your doctor about side effects and how to treat them.
  10. Place the alarm clock away from your face. Watching time ticking by can cause more stress and difficulty falling asleep. Additionally, artificial skin from an electronic device disrupts the biological clock, making our body
    think it’s time to get up and party.
  11. Smell lavender. The smell can be an antidote to insomnia. Try burning lavender scented candles or dripping some lavender essential oil.
  12. Relax the muscles. Start with the feet. Stretch the muscles, hold for a few seconds and release. Repeat for each muscle group in the body. from the feet to the head.
  13. Dim the light. Bright light, especially ‘blue light’ (TV, mobile phone, etc.) causes sleeping problems. Try not to watch TV or browse your mobile phone about an hour or two before going to bed.
  14. Clean air. Exposure to daylight helps balance the biological clock, as well as bedtime. Sunlight always keeps fatigue away during the day, and leads to fatigue when sleeping at night.
  15. Drink something hot. A glass of warm milk may not be scientifically proven to induce sleep, but the sense of calm that comes with it definitely makes the eyes close.
  16. Put a clove of garlic under the pillow. Yes, you read that right. The sulfur in garlic and the strong aroma have a calming effect that can help the quality of your sleep. The aroma can be strong and harsh: but after a few
    days, you will get used to it and sleep like babies.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Cure Your High Blood Pressure Forever With This Method

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High arterial blood pressure, or hypertension, raises the risk of cardiovascular disease in a way analogous to that of coronary artery disease.

A lot of things, from the efficiency of your heart’s pump to your level of optimism about the stock market, might alter your heart rate. The more nervously and slowly you trade, the more cardiovascular stress you’ll experience.

Most people who have hypertension have no idea they have it until it’s too late and their blood pressure or heart rate are dangerously high…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

Some persons with hypertension experience symptoms like headaches, shortness of breath, and nosebleeds. However, these symptoms are by no means ubiquitous, and they normally manifest only when the disease has progressed to a potentially fatal level.

The Amish were the first to adopt this special remedy, and it has been used to heal many other diseases ever since. Important for many reasons, but especially for keeping the system secure and helping society thrive.

It is strongly advised that you include the nutritious trimmings in this dish.

Trimmings:

One teaspoon of ground ginger

1 tsp of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

You only need a single clove of garlic (ground) READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Trimmings:

One teaspoon of ground ginger

1 tsp of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

You only need a single clove of garlic (ground)

1 teaspoon honey and 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Instructions: Combine the garnishes so that they are uniform. If you prefer to make a double batch, simply keep in mind that it will need to be refrigerated for at least 5 days.

The foregoing amount is adequate for a single application, and it is recommended that it be applied several times a day. Stay in earlier than it is suggested.

Within a short period of time, you’ll see the most benefits. Both your blood pressure and cholesterol levels will decrease substantially.

 

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