Let's learn about the 12 special nerves that come from your brain? (Cranial Nerves)

There are so many amazing things going on in our bodies, aren't there? You might not even think about it, but there are some very important messengers that carry messages from your brain not only to your head, face, and neck, but also to your chest area. That's what we're going to talk about today. We call these cranial nerves, or in English, `(Cranial Nerves)`.

What are these cranial nerves?

Simply put, your cranial nerves are a set of 12 pairs of nerves. They are like electrical wires. They send and receive electrical signals from your brain to various parts of your head, face, neck, and upper chest. These signals are what allow you to see, smell, taste, hear, and move your facial muscles to smile and talk. These nerves start at the back of your brain. They are a very important part of your nervous system.

When you think of sight, hearing, smell, and taste, you immediately think of things like the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. However, if these cranial nerves are not healthy, your senses cannot function properly. It is also these cranial nerves that help you make different facial expressions and communicate with others.

How many pairs of these nerves are there? How are they located?

You have 12 pairs of cranial nerves. Each pair of nerves divides into two, serving two sides of the brain and two sides of the body. For example, you have a pair of olfactory nerves (the nerves that sense smell). One is located on the left side of the brain, the other on the right side.

Two of these pairs of nerves – your olfactory nerve (the one that controls your sense of smell) and your optic nerve (the one that controls your vision) – start in your cerebrum. The cerebrum is the largest part of your brain. The other 10 pairs of nerves start in your brainstem. This brainstem is what connects your brain and spinal cord.

Did you know? The longest of these cranial nerves is the Vagus Nerve. It runs from your brain all the way to your Large Intestine, connecting to many organs along the way.

What are the main functions of the Cranial Nerves?

Your cranial nerves mainly carry sensory information and/or motor or movement control information .

Sensory Nerves help you:

• Feel touch, feel pain and temperature.
• Hear the sounds.
• Things can be seen.
• Smell it.
• Taste.

Motor nerves help control specific muscles . Some cranial nerves can perform both sensory and motor functions.

Each of your 12 cranial nerves has a specific function. Doctors classify them by number and function. Let's take a look at what they are:

1. Olfactory Nerve (CN I)

This is what gives you your sense of smell. Imagine that you can smell delicious food or the scent of flowers because of this nerve.

2. Optic Nerve (CN II)

It is this organ that carries the information you see, that is, vision , to the brain.

3. Oculomotor Nerve (CN III)

This nerve helps you move your eyes, raise your eyelids, and dilate the pupil according to the light .

4. Trochlear Nerve (CN IV)

This nerve helps you look down, turn your nose to one side, or turn your nose to the other side .

5. Trigeminal Nerve (CN V)

This is a very important nerve. It is what gives you sensation (touch, pain) in your eyes, most of your face, and the inside of your mouth . Not only that, but this nerve also helps you chew your food .

6. Abducens Nerve (CN VI)

This nerve helps you move your eyes left and right .

7. Facial Nerve (Facial Nerve - CN VII)

It controls several muscles that control facial expressions, such as when you smile or frown. It is also the nerve that allows you to taste a part of your tongue .

8. Vestibulocochlear Nerve (CN VIII)

This is what helps you hear things and maintain your body's balance .

9. Glossopharyngeal Nerve (CN IX)

It is responsible for the taste sensation on another part of your tongue, as well as controlling the swallowing of food . In addition, it has parasympathetic nerve fibers that control blood pressure, and is involved in the production of saliva.

10. Vagus Nerve (CN X)

This is a very important nerve. It regulates many of the automatic processes in your body, such as digestion, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, mood, and saliva production . It is the main nerve in your parasympathetic nervous system .

11. Accessory Nerve (Accessory Nerve / Spinal Accessory Nerve - CN XI)

This nerve helps control the movements of your shoulders and neck .

12. Hypoglossal Nerve (CN XII)

It controls the movements of your tongue , which is very important when you speak, eat, and swallow.

What are the problems that affect these cranial nerves?

If one of these cranial nerves is damaged in some way, it will not function properly. This can cause specific movement or sensory problems depending on the function of that nerve. There are several reasons that can affect the functioning of these nerves. For example:

• Head Trauma / Traumatic Brain Injury. Imagine, for example, hitting your head in an accident.
• Diseases of the nervous system or brain , for example, diseases such as neuropathy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
• Compression of a nerve by blood vessels, tumors, or swelling near a nerve.
• Circulatory system problems , for example, microvascular disease (disease of the small blood vessels), stroke.
• Inflammation caused by certain infections , for example, the Herpes Zoster Virus (this is the same virus that causes diseases like measles and chickenpox, and causes the condition called shingles).
• Autoimmune conditions are diseases in which the body's own immune system attacks the body. For example, scleroderma, Sjögren's syndrome.
• Accidental injuries during brain, facial, or dental surgeries.

What are Cranial Nerve Palsies?

When there is a problem with a motor cranial nerve that controls movement, doctors call it "palsy." "Palsy" means something like "paralysis" or "loss of life." This causes muscle weakness and problems with movement.

Here are some examples of cranial nerve dysfunction:

• Third Nerve Palsy / Oculomotor Palsy: In this condition, one of your eyes usually appears to be turned downward and outward.
• Fourth Nerve Palsy / Trochlear Nerve Palsy: This usually causes vertical double vision, and difficulty looking down.
• Sixth Nerve Palsy / Abducens Nerve Palsy: In this condition, the eyes may not align with each other (Strabismus) and double vision may occur.
• Bell's Palsy: This is a condition that affects your facial nerve. This is also a facial nerve dysfunction. Usually, one side of the face temporarily loses its strength and droops.

What other conditions can affect these nerves?

Another specific cranial nerve disorder is trigeminal neuralgia . This is characterized by episodes of severe, unbearable pain in the face. This pain can be so severe that it can be difficult to perform daily activities. This usually occurs when the trigeminal nerve is compressed by a blood vessel.

Some cranial nerves, such as your optic nerve and vagus nerve, can be affected in a variety of ways. For example, diseases that affect the optic nerve include glaucoma and optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve). Vagus nerve dysfunction can cause conditions such as gastroparesis (stomach muscle weakness) and vasovagal syncope (sudden fainting).

What should we do to keep our cranial nerves healthy?

In fact, some cranial nerve diseases cannot be prevented. However, there are some things you can do to keep your brain, cranial nerves, and entire nervous system healthy:

• Maintain a healthy weight that suits you.
• Eat nutritious foods. Include more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in your diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.
• If you have diseases that can damage your nerves, such as diabetes mellitus, control them well.
• If you drink alcohol, limit it.
• If you smoke, stop.

What symptoms should I see a doctor for?

Symptoms of cranial nerve damage or disease vary depending on the nerve affected. If you have one or more of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately:

• Sagging of one side of the face.
• Facial pain or numbness.
• Muscle weakness or loss of strength.
• Numbness anywhere in the body.
• Vision problems.
• Problems with taste or smell.
• Dysarthria is a slurred speech.
• Difficulty chewing or swallowing food (Dysphagia).

Finally, things to remember

Now you probably understand how important these cranial nerves are to us. We cannot experience the world around us – see, hear, smell, taste things – without these nerves. They are also essential for moving our eyes, tongue, mouth, and various parts of our face.

Most of the time, we don't think much about these nerves until something goes wrong. However, if you suddenly notice a change in your sensations, or if you develop symptoms related to the functioning of your face, it could be due to a problem with one of the cranial nerves. If so, be sure to see a doctor. He or she will be able to figure out exactly what's wrong. Don't worry, there are often treatments for this.

` Cranial Nerves, Nerves of the brain, Nervous system, Facial nerves, Sensory nerves, Motor nerves