Sympathetic Vs. Parasympathetic State

Have you heard of these two parts in your Autonomic Nervous System? Do you know how important it is to understand the importance of both in regards to your health?

Your Autonomic Nervous system is divided into two parts, the Sympathetic and the Parasympathetic. Depending on your environment and level of perceived stress will indicate which state you are in. The Sympathetic nervous system is our “fight or flight” which results in increased blood flow to your limbs and decreased blood flow to your organs. Whereas the Parasympathetic is the “rest and digest” state where you experience just the opposite.

Our world today promotes a constant state of sympathetic dominance if your living a traditional life, going to a 9-5, commuting to/from work, you can expect to be in a more stressed state. This poses as a problem if you aren’t balancing it with Parasympathetic activities and you will begin to see your health suffer because of it.

Signs of Sympathetic Dominance:

  • Shoulder/Neck Muscle Tightness

  • Sensitivity to light/sound

  • Light sleep and vivid dreams

  • Bloating, constipation or diarrhea

  • High blood pressure

  • Increased risk of DVT and stroke

  • Tiredness

  • Feeling cold

  • Difficulty losing weight

  • Sugar or salt cravings

  • Hormonal imbalances including estrogen dominance

  • Gallbladder problems

  • Irritability

  • Headaches

  • Hair loss

  • Thyroid imbalances

  • Water retention

  • Anxiety/Depression

Signs of Parasympathetic State

  • Heart rate and respiration slow

  • Blood pressure drops

  • Intestinal activity increases

  • Blood flow increases to the digestive tract

  • Neurotransmitters like acetylcholine (regulates muscle contractions)

  • Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol decrease

Sympathetic dominance is especially present in those suffering with MCAS or POTS since they have many triggers which set off alarms within their body such as mold toxicity, heavy metal toxicity, parasite infection, multiple chemical sensitivities, hidden viral infections and many more. Learning to engage in activities to trigger the parasympathetic are a key component of healing any chronic disease because your body will not detox in a sympathetic dominant state. If you are constantly producing the stress hormone cortisol, your body will not produce sex hormones which is also a big reason for infertility.

Checking heart rate variability at different points throughout the day can be a good indicator of which state you may be in. Checking for belly breathing as opposed to chest breathing is a great way to stimulate the PNS.

Getting enough calming minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium as well as complex carbohydrates to nourish the adrenals if you are someone who has been low carb or keto for a long time.

Another important nutrient to improve acetylcholine production is choline. Great sources include pasture raised eggs, beef, liver, wild salmon, pasture raised chicken and shrimp. Acetylcholine is a chemical messenger that triggers the PNS. Some signs of low acetylcholine are brain fog, exercise fatigue, constipation, dry eye, orthostatic hypotension, flushing, emotional instability, tachycardia and SIBO/SIFO. (All classic signs of MCAS/POTS).

Acetylcholine has been demonstrated in studies to inhibit the release of histamine which helps to stabilize mast cells so naturally improving this with food can be a helpful addition to your current protocol. Stimulating the vagus nerve is also helpful to trigger the PNS.

Heather Oricchioparasympathetic, sympathetic dominance, MCAS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, acteylcholine