What Is Excessive Yawning?
Are you feeling like you are yawning way more than usual? If yes, that’s called excessive yawning, and it can happen for many reasons. Maybe you are bored, tired, or stressed out. But sometimes, yawning a lot can be a sign of other medical conditions, like insomnia, anxiety, depression, or medication side effects. Doctors might call it severe yawning. It is worth checking in with your doctor to ensure everything’s okay if it is happening constantly.
Why Do We Yawn?
We yawn for the following reasons:
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We all yawn, especially when tired or just after waking up. It’s your body’s way of helping you stay alert.
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Yawning also tends to happen when you’re bored; if your surroundings are not interesting, your body might signal that with a yawn, letting everyone know you are not engaged.
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Yawning might help cool down your brain, too. People yawn more in the summer than in the winter.
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If you’ve ever been on a plane, you might have noticed that yawning helps relieve ear pressure caused by changes in altitude.
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And finally, yawning can be contagious! Seeing someone else yawn often makes you do it too.
What Are the Causes of Excessive Yawning?
We all yawn, and honestly, no one knows precisely why. But if you catch yourself yawning way more than usual, it could be your body trying to tell you something.
Here are some of the most common reasons you might be yawning a lot:
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Sleep Problems and Tiredness: Not getting enough sleep? That is probably the top reason for excessive yawning. If you are not getting proper sleep, your body will try to keep you alert by making you yawn more. Trouble sleeping, insomnia, or feeling wiped out can all make you yawn more than usual. It is smart to check in with your doctor if it keeps happening.
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Anxiety and Stress: Feeling anxious or stressed? That can also make you yawn more. Anxiety can affect your breathing and heart rate and leave you feeling drained or even short of breath. Yawning is sometimes your body's way of coping with all that tension.
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Depression: If you are dealing with depression, you might notice more yawning, especially if you are on antidepressants. Some medications, especially SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), can make yawning a side effect. If you see this, talk to your doctor about it.
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Heart Conditions: Sometimes, excessive yawning is linked to your heart. The vagus nerve, which runs from your brain to your heart and stomach, can trigger yawning if it’s affected. Rarely, yawning a lot can be a warning sign of a heart attack or other heart issues. It’s also seen in some neurological conditions like epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease.
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Liver Failure: People might start yawning frequently in the late stages of liver disease. This is usually because of the extreme tiredness and fatigue associated with liver problems.
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Brain Tumors: It’s rare, but sometimes excessive yawning can indicate a brain tumor, especially in the frontal lobe or brain stem. If you have other weird symptoms like headaches, memory loss, or personality changes, definitely get checked out.
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Medications: Certain medicines can make you yawn more, too. These include:
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Antidepressants (especially SSRIs).
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Opioids.
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Benzodiazepines.
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Some antihistamines.
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Pain relievers.
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Oxytocin.
What Are the Symptoms of Excessive Yawning?
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If you start yawning way more than usual, you might notice physical things like yawning several times a minute, sometimes even burping when you yawn, or feeling short of breath.
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Yawning can also make you stretch and might even speed up your heart rate.
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On the emotional side, constant yawning can get frustrating and even make you anxious, especially if you can’t stop.
How to Diagnose Excessive Yawning?
If you’re yawning way more than usual, your doctor will probably start by asking about your sleep habits and how tired you feel. They might also want to know about any medications you’re taking or if you have any other symptoms. Your doctor could order a few tests to determine what's going on.
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They suggest a sleep diary, where you keep track of your sleep patterns for a while, or even a sleep study to see if you have a sleep disorder.
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If they think there could be a heart issue, they might order a chest X-ray or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to check for any heart problems or damage.
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An EEG (electroencephalogram), which measures your brain’s electrical activity, might be used to rule out things like epilepsy or other brain conditions. Your doctor will use these tools and tests to get a clearer picture of what might be causing all the yawning and help decide what to do next.
How to Treat Excessive Yawning?
How you treat excessive yawning depends on what’s causing it.
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If it’s just from being tired or stressed, your doctor might suggest a regular sleep schedule, like going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
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They could also recommend breathing exercises or a breathing device if anxiety or asthma is behind the yawning.
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Avoid alcohol and heavy meals before bed, since those can mess with your sleep.
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Suppose your yawning is linked to another medical issue. In that case, your doctor might prescribe specific medication to treat that condition or even adjust your current medicines if they are making you tired or causing you to yawn more than usual. Sometimes, they give you something to help you sleep better.
When to See a Doctor?
Yawning is regular and usually nothing to worry about; it’s not a medical emergency.
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But it's a good idea to check in with your doctor if you notice you’re yawning a lot or if your yawning is accompanied by other changes, like always feeling tired or drowsy.
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You should also talk to your doctor if you start yawning excessively after starting a new medication or just can’t figure out why it’s happening.
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If your yawning feels out of the ordinary or is bothering you, it’s worth checking out to rule out any underlying issues.
Conclusion:
Yawning is a natural process. If you yawn more after taking any medicines, it may cause an issue. Excessive yawning can also be associated with certain diseases. You should see your doctor if you notice something wrong with your yawning. They will ask you about any medicines you are taking or about your sleep patterns. If yawning is associated with a medicine's side effect, your doctor will adjust the dose of that medicine or will change the medicine accordingly to manage excessive yawning.
A Keynote by iCliniq:
Yawning is usually normal, but it can also be a sign of some abnormalities, which you may not be aware of. If you want to know about these abnormalities, call our specialists at iCliniq. You will get treatment only after knowing the cause behind excessive yawning.
