05/18/2022
The symptoms of low thyroid function and vagal tone are similar.
Their connection may be based on a physical layout of the vagus nerve.
On the way to the gut the vagus controls the muscles at the back of the throat to begin the digestive swallowing process.
It also slings a nerve back up to the voice box, to control the laryngeal muscles.
Right here is the thyroid gland, which may show the connection between vagal tone and our voice.
Low thyroid hormone levels cause fluid to accumulate in the vocal folds, and when the thyroid gland enlarges due to disease, the vocal chords can become pinched or partially paralyzed due to their snug proximity.
One characteristic of hypothyroidism is a hoarse voice.
The thyroid gland is controlled by sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves (vagus).
That means if your stressed, it will downregulate the production of thyroid hormone, potentially due to lack of vagal nerve tone.
Your vagal tone can be measured by tracking your heart rate, your breathing rate, and your heart rate variability (HRV).
Increasing your vagal tone activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and having higher vagal tone means that your body can relax faster after stress.
In 2010, researchers discovered a positive feedback loop between high vagal tone, positive emotions, and good physical health.
So how to improve vagal tone? Better connection and control to vocal chords and voice will assist your brain to keep good relaxing vagal tone (hence why singing make us feel good!)
Physical ways to activate the vagus nerve:
1) Gargling while humming – try to see if you can do a 1-minute exercise
2) Cold showers
3) Deep expansive breathing, with exhale double the inhale
4) Voice exercises
To use the laryngeal muscles you need to exercise the full pitch of your voice.
Siren exercise: takes an “oooo” sound and gradually goes from the lowest note of your range to the highest and back down, like a siren for an emergency vehicle.
The sound is continuous and covers the tones between the notes.
If it’s hard in one point, just keep practicing, it will get easier as you gain better control.
