Reduced parasympathetic activity is the main cause of symptoms in stress conditions. Vagus nerve stimulation is widely researched and tested treatment and efficient in treatment of, for example, tinnitus, stress, sleep disorders, depression, atrial fibrillation, and long COVID-19.
Well-being
The parasympathetic (vagal) system, the vagus nerve in front, is responsible for health and well-being. In chronic stress, its function is reduced, and the sympathetic system dominates. Reduced parasympathetic activity is the main cause of symptoms in stress conditions. The condition can be reversed, and the symptoms can be treated drug-free with the EVANES device, which electrically stimulates the vagus nerve.
Stress
Stress is a direct or indirect cause of many health problems and more than two-thirds of all diseases. In a stress state the sympathetic mode of the autonomous nervous system dominates. The treatment for balancing the system is to decrease the sympathetic activity and/or increase the parasympathetic activity. An easy, safe, and relatively cheap way for that is transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS). This can effectively, and safely be done by stimulating the vagus nerve.
Burn out
Burn-out is defined in ICD-11 as follows: “Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. The most common cause of burn out is work-related stress that leads to hyperactive sympathetic nervous system. The best way to reduce hyperactivity is the activation of the parasympathetic (vagal) system. An easy and safe way for that is instructive counseling and taVNS.
PTSD
Patients with PTSD suffer from recurrent and intrusive thoughts about traumatic events. In PTSD the symptoms arise from a stress-related failure of the regulatory function of our central autonomic network leading to hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and correspondingly hypoactivity of the parasympathetic system.
Tinnitus Stress
Everybody has occasional tinnitus that needs not to be treated. If tinnitus is persistent and annoying it easily leads to a stress reaction, that needs to and can be treated. Patients with severe tinnitus often show associated symptoms which have features of autonomic dysfunction. These are characterized by excessive sympathetic activation and concomitant reduced parasympathetic activation. The best way for treating that is the activation of the parasympathetic (vagal) system. An easy and safe way for that is counseling plus taVNS.
Based on our earlier studies and on the recent research regarding new stress and mood disorders we have developed tinnitus management strategies aiming firstly, to relieve stress reaction and secondly, to correct failed auditory function of critical neuronal network through induction of activity-dependent neuronal plasticity. Our pilot study shows that this strategy seems to be beneficial for tinnitus patients (18).
Long COVID
The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused unprecedented morbidity, mortality, and global disruption. Following the initial surge of infections, focus shifted to managing the longer-term sequelae of illness in survivors. Post-acute COVID (known colloquially as long COVID) has emerged as a prevalent syndrome. It encompasses a plethora of debilitating symptoms (including fatigue, breathlessness, pain, palpitations, sleep disturbance, and cognitive impairment (“brain fog”) which can last for weeks or months following the acute stage, even after a mild illness. It seems now rather clear that these symptoms are a consequence of “dysautonomia” or imbalance of the autonomous nervous system with sympathetic dominance. The targeted treatment of this condition is activation of the parasympathetic system that can be done by Evanes device.
Insomnia
The most common cause of insomnia is the stress-induced hyperactive sympathetic nervous system. The best way to reduce that is the activation of the parasympathetic (vagal) system. An easy and safe way for that is instructive counseling plus transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS).