Autonomic nervous system is the thermostat of your body (And much, much more)

Most people understand how a thermostat works. When the heat is on, the temperature will start to rise. The rising temperature will alert the thermostat that the desired temperature level has been achieved and the heat will turn off. However, after the heat is off for a while, the temperature will drop, reactivate the system and the heat will come back on again.

The opposite occurs with an air conditioner. The device will cool the temperature to a certain point and will automatically turn off at the appropriate time. After a while, when the temperature rises above a set point, the air conditioner will again turn on.

Now imagine what would happen in the following situation. The thermostat is down stairs in the living room and the window is open. It is a very cold winter day. The living room is very cold. The heater is on and stays on. It never turns off because the temperature in the room (where the thermostat is) is very cold. Meanwhile the bedrooms upstairs are extremely hot, unbearably so. This is a big problem; resulting in cold rooms, hot rooms and wasted energy.

You are probably asking at this point, “What the heck does this have to do with my health?”

Well, it does, and here is the payoff. Inside of us, we all have a mechanism for controlling all of our bodily functions as conditions change from one moment to the next. This control mechanism is called the autonomic nervous system (the hormonal/endocrine system also controls many bodily functions, but does so over a longer time period, and is beyond the scope of this article).

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, pupil size, sweating, immune system, mucus production, caliber of the airways, blood sugar levels, certain adrenal hormone levels and many digestive functions.

The ANS is composed of two parts, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)

If you were to be frightened by a loud noise or a threatening situation, then your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) would be activated. Your heart rate would increase, your blood pressure would rise, your pupils would enlarge, your airways would expand, the mucus production in your nose, throat, lungs and bowels would cease, your blood sugar would rise, your immune system would stop working.

These effects all occur almost instantly when we are faced with a threatening situation. Your body has been programmed through evolution to survive these situations by activating this SNS.

The SNS is like the “gas pedal” in your body. Where there is a gas pedal, there better be a brake, otherwise these functions would continue and the body would suffer harm. The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is like the “brake” in your body.

When the PNS is activated, your heart rate would decrease, your blood pressure would drop, your pupils would constrict, your airways would contract, the mucus production in your nose, throat, lungs and bowels would increase, your blood sugar would drop, and your immune system would be activated.

Some people have very sensitive autonomic nervous systems and can over react to external and internal stimuli. This situation is called Autonomic dysfunction.

Autonomic dysfunction (an over or under active system) can therefore lead to many different symptoms.

For example, an overactive SNS (or under active PNS) can contribute to high blood pressure, palpitations, anxiety, constipation, ulcers, insomnia, high blood sugars, dry mouth, immune system problems and erectile dysfunction.

An overactive PNS (or under active SNS) can contribute to low blood pressure, fatigue, depression, diarrhea, ulcers, low blood sugars, anxiety, allergic reactions, asthma, sinus problems and watery eyes and nose.

The SNS and the PNS can be stimulated by various foods, supplements and emotional experiences. The ratio of calcium to potassium is very important to SNS and PNS activity (a high calcium/potassium ratio activates the SNS and a low calcium/potassium ratio activates the PNS) A high blood sugar can stimulate the PNS, a low blood sugar the SNS. There are many other specific minerals, amino acids and vitamins that can affect autonomic balance.

The autonomic nervous system is one of several homeostatic control mechanisms in the body. Homeostatic control mechanisms maintain stable internal conditions to compensate for changing external conditions. When your body is unable to adequately compensate for changing external conditions, numerous symptoms can result.