Vagus Nerve and Swallowing
Original Post: I have issues with the vagus nerve when I swallow. Sometimes when I try to swallow it goes up my throat into the nasal passage instead of going down. It doesn't matter if it's liquid or food. Is that from the polio damage to the vagus nerve?
Dr. Bruno’s Response: Yes. The vagus nerve and brain stem control centers (see diagram) control swallowing from the back of the throat down to the end of the digestive system and were damaged by the poliovirus.
Polio survivors' digestive “snake” has too little vagal activity throughout. This is why people with acute polio couldn’t swallow liquids. With no place else to go, the liquid came out the nose.
Today, vagus damage causes trouble swallowing as well as constipation. Anyone with swallowing difficulty needs a barium swallow study to find out what's happening from mouth to stomach and to make sure that there is no obstruction or pocketing in the esophagus or throat, or non-polio related conditions that also could cause problems swallowing.