The Viral "Three Swallow" Test May Reveal How Stressed You Are

"If you can't swallow three times in a row, your vagus nerve is probably dysregulated from long-term stress. This is because your vagus nerve controls your swallow reflex. If you feel any hesitation as you go for that second or third swallow, she said it could point to chronic stress."

"The vagus nerve is the longest of the 12 cranial nerves. It runs from your brainstem down through your neck, chest, and into your abdomen where it innervates every organ, including your heart, lungs, and digestive system. Its job is to send and receive messages that help regulate your heart rate, breathing, digestion, and mood."

"It's the main communication switch that controls the shift between stress (fight-flight-freeze) and relaxation (rest-and-digest). Its state reflects how readily you can shift out of the body's stress response and into rest, repair, and recovery."

The vagus nerve, the longest of the twelve cranial nerves, runs from the brainstem through the neck, chest, and abdomen, innervating major organs including the heart, lungs, and digestive system. It regulates heart rate, breathing, digestion, and mood by controlling the shift between stress responses and relaxation states. A viral TikTok trend suggests that difficulty swallowing three times consecutively indicates vagus nerve dysregulation caused by chronic stress. Creators claim this occurs because the vagus nerve controls the swallow reflex. Many users attempted the test and reported struggling with subsequent swallows. Therapists provide guidance on understanding this test's validity and offer recommendations for maintaining vagus nerve health to promote relaxation.

Read at Bustle