PAF and the Vagus nerve.

[catevalunii]

I suffer from permanent AF and ablation has not proved possible, but I have seen on Health Unlocked a suggestion that the vagus nerve can trigger AF. I often suffer, first thing in the day before breakfast, feeling sick to the point of retching. My nose then starts tickling and I sneeze three or four times. Immediately the nausea ceases. Could this be related to my PAF or my vagus nerve.

[CDreamer]

Possibly however it is worth checking with your GP for causes. It certainly sounds as though your symptoms could be triggered by vagus nerve but then the question is why is it being triggered?

Your vagus nerve is just one part of your Autonomic Nervous System which controls many unconscious functions in your body such as digestion, BP, heart rate but also what causes us to feel alarmed, anxious and stressed. ANS is also known as the Fight or Flight response - an alarm system to alert us that there is something wrong. There are 2 sides to the ANS the Sympathetic (Fight &Flight) and Parasympathtic or (Rest&Digest) one side alerts - the other soothes. This is why many people with AF often feel so anxious and why worry thoughts are the worst thing as they will only increase the Fight&Flight response.

When things go wrong with our hearts or digestion the ANS is the first to pick this up as the Vagal (or wandering nerve) passes very close to the heart and stomach and is often triggered into response by posture - many people find they cannot lie on their left side is they have AF - or find certain meals and foods triggers for AF but it could also be triggered because there is something mechanically wrong - such as hiatus hernia or bacteria imbalance so worth asking your GP.

[catevalunii in reply to CDreamer]

I did . He laughed. Said he'd never heard of someone relieving nausea by sneezing.