Stress Response Related to Vagus Nerve

Stress Response Related to Vagus Nerve Stress is a body response generated by several environment or psychological changes, and it is characterized by a feeling of tension and anxiety. In other words, stress can be described as the human body's abrupt attention toward a significant event or situation (Koolhaas et al., 2011). If stress is not controlled, it can lead to severe physiological consequences for the body, including depression, hypertension, and stroke. In most cases, stress is detectable via a set of signs and symptoms, such as abrupt mood swings, insomnia, indigestion, giddiness, excessive sweating, and anxiety (Koolhaas et al., 2011). To tackle stress, doctors and psychologists recommend various remedial measures that involve moving away from the stressful situation or shifting the mode of response toward such situations. However, the human body also has an innate mechanism to tackle body stress that automatically triggers a set of physiological responses that shift the body to a "rest and digest" state. The part of the central nervous system that controls this stress-decreasing response is called the parasympathetic nervous system.
Human Parasympathetic Nervous System and Stress Management
The parasympathetic nervous system is a part of the autonomous nervous system that controls involuntary actions. This system comprises the nerves originating from the brain (cranial nerves), including the lumber spinal nerves, facial nerves, glossopharyngeal nerves, and the most crucial vagus nerves (Tadi & Tindle, 2021). This part of the human nervous system has specific features that enable it to trigger and maintain a stress-managing response. For example, the axons of preganglionic neurons of the parasympathetic nervous system are longer than that of the sympathetic nervous system. They make synapses with the postganglionic neurons in close proximity to the effector organs. These nerves then communicate sensory signals to the effectors via a very short postganglionic axon (Tadi & Tindle, 2021). So, the communication of sensory information in this form of the nervous system takes place via two motor neurons: postganglionic and preganglionic neurons.
The parasympathetic nervous system is crucial in triggering and maintaining the autonomous stress response mechanism of the body as both preganglionic and postganglionic neurons use acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter to communicate the sensory message to their target organs. This neurotransmitter significantly facilitates effective communication. The primary function of this system is to generate the "rest and digest" state in the body, and for this purpose, it sends sensory messages to particular effectors. These sensory messages generate effective stress coping responses, including slow heartbeat, constriction of pupils, increased bronchial secretions, and enhancement of gut motility to facilitate digestion (Rea, 2016). The working mechanism of the parasympathetic nervous system listed below shows how nerves of this system facilitate the initiation of stress coping mechanisms in the body (Tadi & Tindle, 2021).
* The stimulation of M3 receptors triggers pupil constriction since the sensory information supplied by the PNS nerves stimulates the contraction of the sphin...