From the anamnesis, chest surgery (40%), neck injury (35%), past infections (30%) are important.

When the nerve is damaged, the tone of the voice changes, there are difficulties in swallowing, choking for several weeks, months, sometimes years. As the disease progresses, difficulty in swallowing and speaking increases. Paralysis of the muscles of the pharynx, esophagus, palatine muscles leads to a violation of swallowing (dysphagia), the ingress of fluid into the nose during the act of swallowing.

On examination, soft palate drooping (80%), dysphonia are revealed. The tongue deviates to the healthy side, there are no pharyngeal and palatine reflexes - 65-80%. With voice paralysis, a change in voice appears: it becomes hoarse (50%). With damage to the vagus nerve, aphonia develops on both sides, a violation of breathing and heart function.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis includes computed/magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.

Treatment of vagus nerve injury

Treatment is prescribed only after confirmation of the diagnosis by a specialist doctor. It is necessary to eliminate the cause of the disease; shows "Prednisolone", vitamins, antihistamines, anticholinesterase drugs; plasmapheresis.

Differential Diagnosis:

Tumors and disorders of cerebral circulation in the medulla oblongata.
Herpes zoster.
Tumors of the lungs, thyroid gland, esophagus.
Hypertrophy of the left atrium.

Essential drugs

There are contraindications. Specialist consultation is required.

(systemic GCS). Dosage regimen: the average oral dose for adults is 5-60 mg / day. in 3-4 doses. The maximum daily dose is 200 mg.
(vitamin B complex). Dosage regimen: therapy begins with 2 ml intramuscularly 1 r / d for 5-10 days. Maintenance therapy - 2 ml / m two or three times a week.
Prozerin (an inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase). Dosage regimen: inside adults 10-15 mg 2-3 times a day; subcutaneously - 1-2 mg 1-2 times a day.
(antihistamine, sedative, hypnotic). Dosage regimen: intramuscularly, 1-5 ml of a 1% solution; inside 0.025-0.05 g 1-3 times a day. The course of treatment is 10-15 days.

The human body is a complex mechanism; the nervous system is responsible for maintaining all life processes at the required level. The central nervous system receives external signals and impulses from internal organs about danger and gives commands to improve the situation, so deviations in the system can lead to serious health problems. What is the vagus nerve, what signs of discomfort indicate its inflammation and that you need to see a doctor, let's try to figure it out.

What is the vagus nerve

Twelve nerves leave the brain. The tenth (X) pair of nerves emerging from the skull is called vagus or wandering because of its wide distribution, fermentation throughout the body. According to human anatomy, the vagal nerve is the longest, has two trunks and a complex structure. Along the entire length of the vagus, nuclei of the vagus nerve are formed. Nervus vagus covers the following parts of the human body:

Head department. The vagus enters this part after leaving the skull, due to the branches of the nerve, the meninges are innervated in the cranial cavity, the posterior wall of the external auditory canal near the temporal bone.
Neck department. Here, the nerve fibers are located in the muscles of the pharynx, vocal cords, soft palate, and uvula. In the neck, the vagus fibers are located partially in the thyroid gland and in the mucous membranes: pharynx, larynx, epiglottis and root of the tongue.
Thoracic department. The nerve enters this zone through a hole in the diaphragm, its branches form plexuses: cardiac, pulmonary and esophageal.
Abdominal section. Here the vagus descends through the esophagus through a hole in the membrane and goes to the stomach, liver, pancreas.

Vagus consists of a complex of fibers of three types:

Sensitive. Vagus fibers are found in the auditory canal, tympanic membrane, and meninges; receive and transmit information.
Motor. This part of the nerve is activated to execute the command after processing information in the brain and consists of vagus fibers in the muscles of the larynx, pharynx, and esophagus.
Vegetative. Nerve fibers are responsible for the stable activity of the internal organs, endocrine glands, circulatory and lymphatic systems and include the nerve endings of the vagus in the muscles of the heart, in the smooth muscles of the lungs, esophagus, stomach, and intestines.

Causes

It is impossible to overestimate the value of the vagus, a violation of the function of the vagus nerve leads to:

failures in the activity of the respiratory organs, heart muscle, endocrine glands, digestive system;
disorders of blood pressure regulation.

Irritation, inflammation, pinching or damage to the nerve fibers leads to an imbalance in the activity of the organs innervated by the vagus. The lesion may be located inside the skull or cover the peripheral parts of the vagus. Intracranial causes of pathology include:

meningitis;
tumor;
hematoma;
aneurysm;
multiple sclerosis;
syphilis;
thrombosis.

Problems can arise in the peripheral part of the vagus, these include:

infectious diseases (dysentery, sinusitis);
poisoning;
chronic alcoholism;
trauma;
endocrine diseases;
tumors.

Symptoms

Manifestations of nerve damage depend on: localization, cause of occurrence, degree of damage. Intracranial damage can involve all three types of vagus fibers and have severe consequences - paralysis of both nerve trunks, dysfunction and death. The following symptoms may indicate damage to the vagus:

dysfunction of swallowing;
violation of the timbre of the voice, the appearance of hoarseness;
difficulty breathing;
constipation or diarrhea;
change in heart rate.

Inflammation of the vagus nerve

Signs of inflammation of the vagus depend on the location of the source of the lesion:

In the head area, symptoms can be manifested by hearing loss, dizziness, headache (migraine).
In the cervical region, there are: a change in voice and pronunciation of words, difficulty in swallowing, a violation of the cough reflex.
In the chest area, the lesion may be accompanied by respiratory failure, chest pain.
Due to inflammation of the vagus in the abdominal cavity, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation may occur.

Tone

The autonomic nervous system consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibers that balance their activity. Their normal interaction determines a healthy tone. The good work of the vegetative system is evidenced by:

positive mood of a person;
a slight increase in heart rate after inhalation, its decrease after exhalation;
ability to manage their emotions in stressful situations.

When the nerve is damaged, the autonomic system suffers, a malfunction in the activity of the parasympathetic fibers of the vagus leads to the manifestation of symptoms of neurasthenia:

lethargy, apathy with increased tone;
irascibility and irritability with reduced tone.

Irritation

Serious disturbances in the activity of internal organs occur when the vegetative fibers of the nerve are irritated. The activity of the parasympathetic fibers of the vagus is aimed at:

expansion of blood vessels,
slow heartbeat,
decreased contraction of bronchial smooth muscle
stimulation of the secretory function of the glands of the abdominal cavity,
the occurrence of cough as a protective reaction.

With irritation of the parasympathetic fibers of the nerve, the work of the endocrine glands increases, intestinal motility increases. An excessive amount of gastric juice sometimes causes the development of stomach or intestinal ulcers, and increased peristalsis leads to diarrhea. As a result of irritation of the nerve, bronchospasm, an asthma attack may occur.

Vagus nerve and arrhythmia

The cause of a violation in the work of the cardiovascular system may be damage to the vagal nerve. In patients, there is a change in the rhythm of heart contractions:

tachycardia;
bradycardia;
arrhythmia.

The activity of the parasympathetic system is designed for the night, so at night the heart rhythm disturbance increases. Patients are concerned about pain in the chest, a feeling of lack of air. The defeat of the vagus may be accompanied by a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, or the opposite symptoms when the parasympathetic fibers of the nerve are depressed.

Diagnostics

For the success of treatment, early contact with a specialist and a correct diagnosis are important. The examination should be performed by a neurologist. During the examination, the specialist conducts:

checking the timbre of the voice and pronunciation of words;
examination of the soft palate (a sign of defeat - sagging), the position of the tongue (it deviates to the unaffected side).

Swallowing disorders are determined using a glass of water: patients with nerve lesions tend to cough when swallowing. Additionally, the doctor may prescribe the study:

laryngoscopy to determine the condition of the vocal cords;
radiography;
electrocardiogram.

Treatment

To achieve a positive result in the treatment of the vagal nerve, it is necessary to determine the cause of the disease and eliminate it. Sometimes the patient's well-being improves after plasmapheresis - blood purification. A positive result can be achieved with the help of electrical stimulation of the nerve - the direction of diadynamic currents in the area of pain sensation.

Medical therapy

Predominantly, the treatment of the nerve is carried out by conservative methods. In exceptional severe cases, surgical intervention is prescribed. Therapy of the affected vagus is carried out with the following drugs:

anti-inflammatory - Meloxicam, Nise;
antihistamines - Suprastin;
a complex of vitamins;
anticholinesterase - Neuromidin, Prozerin;
hormonal - Prednisolone.

ethnoscience

You can use the methods of traditional medicine as an addition to the prescription of a doctor and with his consent, but you cannot self-medicate the vagus. To improve well-being, you can prepare tea from herbs:

Pour 1 tablespoon of thyme with 50 milliliters of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. Scheme of administration: divide into 4 servings and drink.
Pour a glass of boiling water 2 tablespoons of a mixture of mint and lemon balm, leave for 20 minutes, divide into 2 portions and drink.

A bath will help calm the body. The water temperature should be 33 degrees. To prepare a bath, pour a mixture of herbs with 10 liters of boiling water and leave for 6 hours. The mix options are:

calamus root, yarrow, oregano, pine buds;
sage leaves, valerian root.

Nerve Strengtheners

You can avoid the disease by taking a complex of vitamins that strengthen nerve cells, help the body fight fatigue, and improve mood. Vitamins A, B, C, E are useful. As antidepressants, sedatives, you can use foods:

banana;
citrus;
chocolate;
tomatoes;
currant;
beans.

Vagus prevention

To avoid damage to the vagus, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits. To prevent stressful situations, you need to plan your working day. Disease prevention includes:

daily physical activity;
full sleep and rest, getting positive emotions;
cold and hot shower.

Video

The vagus nerve is the longest and most widely divergent nerve in the human body. It performs many different functions and for this reason is one of the most important components of the nervous system.

A set of exercises to increase the tone of the vagus nerve

Vagus nerve (vagus)– it is the longest and most widely divergent nerve in the human body. It performs many different functions and for this reason is one of the most important components of the nervous system.

Out of the jugular foramen of the brain, nervus vagus descends along the side of the neck as part of the neurovascular bundle along with the carotid artery and the internal jugular vein. Passes near the trachea and pharynx, innervating them.

Further, the vagus passes into the chest cavity, its right branch goes next to the right subclavian artery, and the left one - in front of the aortic arch. Both branches approach the lower part of the esophagus, passing from it in front and behind, and regulate its functions.

From the celiac plexus, the fibers approach all organs of the abdominal cavity, except for the lower sections of the large intestine and the organs of the small pelvis.

With the daily implementation of this complex, you will increase the tone of the vagus nerve and the whole body.

Preparation:

Sit up straight in a chair with your hands folded in your lap.

Place both feet on the floor and take a deep breath.

Neck area

Stretch your head as far as possible with the top of your head up and turn it to the left and right.

Repeat this movement several times.

Lower jaw area

Move your lower jaw, slowly opening and closing your mouth, moving it from side to side, back and forth.

Feel the jaw muscles, the tension of which can cause pain. Do this exercise until you feel slight fatigue in your jaw.

Eyes

Open and close your eyes.

Look in different directions without moving your head - left and right, up and down. Alternately open your eyes wide and squint.

Facial muscles

Remember your childhood, and for a few minutes, "make faces", trying to use as many facial muscles as possible.

Middle ear

Listen.

Hear ambient sounds in the background, such as the creaking of chairs, the sound of a passing car's tires, the chirping of birds, the sound of an elevator, the sound of a computer running, or the sound of an air conditioner or fan.

Throat

First make a few coughing movements (as if something is in the trachea), and then swallow the saliva.

Larynx

Feel the vibration in the larynx, the vibration sound should reach the diaphragm and disperse throughout the abdomen.

Listen to how you feel, especially the feeling in your chest. Pay attention to every, no matter how small, positive change.

With the daily implementation of this complex, you will increase the tone of the vagus nerve and the whole body.. published

What is the vagus nerve responsible for? Causes of damage to the vagus nerve and features of its structure

The vagus nerve is a pair of cranial nerves, the branches of which are located in the head, cervical, abdominal and thoracic regions of organisms, form the solar plexus. This nerve is mixed because it includes motor, sensory and parasympathetic fibers. The vagus nerve influences many reflex actions and regulates important processes in the body, namely:

swallowing
cough;
vomit;
breath;
heartbeat;
secretion of the gastric glands, etc.

What causes damage to the vagus nerve?

The defeat of the vagus nerve often leads to quite serious consequences. The reasons for the defeat can be:

various injuries;
tumors;
hematomas;
thrombosis;
meningitis;
aneurysm;
diseases of the glands;
alcoholic neuropathy;
diabetes mellitus, etc.

Consider what are the symptoms and treatment of lesions (irritation) of the vagus nerve.

Symptoms of inflammation (neuralgia) of the vagus nerve

Due to the fact that the vagus nerve has a complex structure and affects the functioning of many organs, the signs of its damage can be very diverse. Consider the most common of them:

Violation of the swallowing function is one of the characteristic and common symptoms of vagus nerve damage. Due to damage to the peripheral neuron of the vagus nerve, paralysis of the muscles of the pharynx and esophagus occurs, as a result of which the process of transferring food or liquid from the oropharynx to the stomach becomes impossible.
A symptom of the defeat of the vagus nerve is also sometimes the ingress of liquid food into the nose. This is caused by paralysis of the palatine muscles, the functions of which are to separate the nasal cavity from the oral cavity and pharynx.
Some patients develop a nasal tone of voice with isolated inflammation of the vagus nerve. At the same time, the drooping of the soft palate on the side of the focus, its inactivity or immobility, as well as the deviation of the tongue to the healthy side, are noted.
Hoarseness of the voice may indicate damage to the vagus nerve, which is associated with paralysis of the vocal cords. Bilateral damage can lead to complete aphonia (lack of a sonorous voice), as well as to a sharp difficulty in breathing, suffocation.
When the vagus nerve is pinched, there may be heaviness in the stomach, pain in the left hypochondrium, impaired intestinal motility.
A symptom of inflammation of the vagus nerve may be a failure of cardiac activity, namely, tachycardia (acceleration of the heartbeat) or (slowdown of myocardial contraction). It should be borne in mind that a unilateral lesion such violations are expressed slightly.

With bilateral damage to the vagus nerve, all of the above symptoms are pronounced. Pain and sensitivity disorder of the mucous membrane of the larynx, pain in the ear (area of the ear canal) can also be observed.

Treatment of vagus nerve injury

It is worth immediately warning that the treatment of damage to the vagus nerve with folk remedies is ineffective and almost does not give results. Therefore, you should not waste time on self-treatment, it is better to contact a specialist as soon as possible, go through necessary examinations and start treatment. In addition, attempts at therapy with alternative methods can lead to the fact that time will be lost, and the pathology will have to be treated in a more severe stage with complications.

Sample:

The cervical vagus nerve extends from the lower node to the origin of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (lat. nervus laryngeus recurens). Along this length, the following branches depart from the vagus nerve:

Motor fibers originate from the double nucleus (lat. nucleus ambiguus), common with the glossopharyngeal and accessory nerves. It is located in the reticular formation, deeper than the posterior nucleus of the vagus nerve in the projection of the triangle of the vagus nerve (lat. trigonum n.vagi). It receives supranuclear impulses from both hemispheres of the brain through the corticonuclear pathways. Therefore, unilateral interruption of the central fibers does not lead to a significant disruption of its function. The axons of the nucleus innervate the muscles of the soft palate, pharynx, larynx, and the striated muscles of the upper esophagus. The double nucleus receives impulses from the spinal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve (lat. nucleus tractus spinalis n.trigemini ) and from the core of the solitary path (lat. nucleus tractus solitary) (relay point for taste fibers). These nuclei are part of the reflex arcs starting from the mucous membrane of the respiratory and digestive tracts and are responsible for the occurrence of coughing, vomiting.

The posterior nucleus of the vagus nerve (lat. Nucleus dorsalis n.vagi) is located deep in the triangle of the vagus nerve of the rhomboid fossa. The axons of the posterior nucleus of the vagus nerve are preganglionic parasympathetic fibers. Short postganglionic fibers send motor impulses to the smooth muscles of the lungs, intestines, down to the splenic flexure of the colon, and to the heart muscle. Stimulation of these parasympathetic fibers causes a slowing of the heart rate, contraction of the smooth muscles of the bronchi. In the digestive tract, there is an increase in the secretion of the glands of the mucous membrane of the stomach and pancreas.

The posterior nucleus of the vagus nerve receives afferent impulses from the hypothalamus, the olfactory system, the autonomic centers of the reticular formation, and the nucleus of the solitary tract. Impulses from baroreceptors in the wall of the carotid glomus are transmitted to the glossopharyngeal nerve and are involved in the regulation of blood pressure. Chemoreceptors in the carotid tangle are involved in the regulation of oxygen tension in the blood. Receptors for the aortic arch and para-aortic bodies have similar functions; they transmit their impulses along the vagus nerve.

It should be noted that postganglionic sympathetic fibers from the cells of the paravertebral sympathetic nodes also enter the vagus nerve and spread along its branches to the heart, blood vessels, and internal organs.

In the nucleus alae cinereae are the bodies of the second neurons of general sensitivity, common to the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves. The bodies of the first neurons are laid in the upper and lower ganglia of these nerves, which are located in the region of the jugular foramen. Afferent (sensory) fibers of the vagus nerve innervate the mucous membrane of the lower part of the pharynx and larynx, the skin area behind the ear and part of the external auditory canal, the tympanic membrane and the dura mater of the posterior cranial fossa.

Clinic of the vagus nerve

The causes of damage to the vagus nerve can be both intracranial and peripheral. Intracranial causes include tumor, hematoma, thrombosis, multiple sclerosis, syphilis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, syringobulbia, meningitis, and aneurysm. Peripheral causes can be neuritis (alcoholic, diphtheria, lead poisoning, arsenic), tumor, glandular disease, trauma, aortic aneurysm.

A bilateral decrease in the function of the vagus nerves can cause a speech disorder in the form of aphonia (the voice loses its sonority as a result of paralysis or severe paresis of the vocal cords) or dysarthria (due to paresis of the muscles of the speech motor apparatus, a decrease in sonority and a change in the timbre of the voice, a violation of the articulation of vowels and especially consonant sounds, nasal tone of speech). Dysphagia is also characteristic - a swallowing disorder (choking on liquid food, difficulty in swallowing any food, especially liquid). This whole triad of symptoms (dysphonia, dysarthria, dysphagia) is due to the fact that the vagus nerve carries motor fibers to the striated muscles of the pharynx, soft palate and palatine curtain, epiglottis, which are responsible for the act of swallowing and human speech. The weakening of the swallowing reflex leads to the accumulation of saliva and sometimes food in the patient's mouth, a decrease in the cough reflex when liquid and pieces of solid food enter the larynx. All this creates conditions for the development of obstructive pneumonia in a patient.

Since the vagus nerves carry parasympathetic fibers to all organs of the chest cavity and most of the abdominal organs, their irritation can lead to bradycardia, broncho- and esophagospasms, increased peristalsis, increased secretion of gastric and duodenal juice, etc. Reduced function of these nerves leads to respiratory disorders, tachycardia, inhibition of the enzymatic activity of the glandular apparatus of the digestive tract, etc.

Research methodology

Determine the sonority of the voice, which may be weakened or completely absent (aphonia); at the same time, the purity of the pronunciation of sounds is checked. The patient is offered to pronounce the sound "a", say a few words, and then open his mouth. They examine the palate and uvula, determine whether there is a drooping of the soft palate, whether the uvula is symmetrically located.

To determine the nature of the contraction of the soft palate, the subject is asked to pronounce the sound "e" with his mouth wide open. In case of damage to n.vagus, the palatine curtain lags behind on the side of paralysis. Explore the palatine and pharyngeal reflexes with a spatula. It should be borne in mind that a bilateral decrease in the pharyngeal reflex and a reflex from the soft palate can also occur in the norm. Their decrease or absence on the one hand is an indicator of the defeat of IX and X pairs.

Swallowing function is tested with a sip of water or tea. In the presence of dysphagia, the patient will choke on one sip of water.

Literature

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