Diseases That Make You Yawn Frequently
Yawning is an involuntary process that involves opening your mouth and taking deep breaths, filling your lungs with air. It is a very natural response to tiredness, which is generally triggered by drowsiness or fatigue. Some yawns are short and others last several seconds before a huge exhale. Watery eyes, stretch, or audible sighs can accompany this act. Researchers aren’t quite sure why it happens, but common triggers include fatigue and boredom.
It is believed that contagious yawning may have associated with social communication. Additionally, a 2013 study published in the Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research suggests that yawning can help cool the brain’s temperature. Excessive yawning is one that occurs more than once a minute and maybe a symptom of an underlying medical problem.
Certain conditions can cause a vasovagal reaction, which results in a more extensive yawn. During a vasovagal reaction, activity in the vagus nerve increases. This goes from the brain to the throat and reaches the abdomen. When you become more active, your heart rate and blood pressure drop significantly, and the reaction can indicate anything from a sleep disorder to a serious heart condition.
Causes of Yawning Too Much
It is important to know the cause of frequent yawning
In fact, yawning is an involuntary action that the body does when it feels tired. In the process of yawning, the mouth will open, and take a deep breath, so that the lungs fill with air. If you yawn more than once in a period of 1 minute, that is a sign, you have experienced frequent yawning. If this happens, you must start to be vigilant, because there are medical conditions that can cause it. You should see your doctor if you notice a sudden increase in yawning, especially if it occurs frequently and for no apparent reason. Only a doctor can determine if this occurs as a result of a medical problem.
What Are The Causes of Frequent Yawning?
1. Sleep Problems
One of the most common reasons why you yawn frequently is fatigue and having trouble sleeping. If you don’t get enough sleep, you will yawn frequently. Some of the following symptoms have the potential to be a sign that you have sleep problems:
· Difficulty concentrating
· Slow reflexes and response
· Getting angry more easily
· Not enthusiastic or motivated
· Muscle ache
If you have trouble sleeping, consult your doctor, to find a solution and get quality sleep.
2. Anxiety Disorders
Do not think that frequent yawning is only caused by feeling tired and lack of sleep. Anxiety disorders can also be a cause of frequent yawning because this mental health disorder can have an impact on the heart, respiratory system, and energy. If someone is feeling anxious, there will be the potential to yawn more often. If you feel more anxious, you will yawn more often.
3. Medications or Treatment
Some medications, which can cause fatigue and drowsiness, can trigger yawning. Both of these side effects can be the cause of frequent yawning. Some of the treatments below can be the cause of frequent yawning, which you feel:
· Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
· Antihistamines
· Some painkillers
You should not stop treatment without the supervision of a doctor. If you plan to stop some of the above medications, in order to avoid frequent yawning, consult your doctor first.
4. Depression
Apart from anxiety disorders, depressionis another mental health problem, which is the cause of frequent yawning. Depression is said to cause a person to yawn frequently, due to antidepressant drugs, or fatigue caused by depression itself. If you experience depression and yawn frequently, consult your doctor, to find alternatives to antidepressant drugs, which do not cause side effects of frequent yawning. In addition, the doctor will find out other causes of frequent yawning that you experience.
5. Heart Problems
Heart problem is another common cause of yawning can also be related to the vagus nerve, which runs from the lower part of the brain to the heart and stomach. In some cases, the cause of frequent yawning is potentially due to bleeding around the heart, or even a heart attack. Therefore, recognize the symptoms of heart problems, which can be the cause of frequent yawning, such as the following:
· Pain in the chest
· Hard to breathe
· Pain in the upper body
· Nausea
· Dizzy
If these things happen, do not waste time and immediately visit a doctor, to consult and find a solution.
6. Epilepsy
Epilepsy sufferers can also feel frequent yawning. Usually, frequent yawning will occur before or during a seizure. People with epilepsy can also yawn frequently, because of the fatigue caused by epilepsy itself.
7. Liver failure
In the highest stages of liver failure, the sufferer can yawn frequently. Some researchers believe this is due to fatigue, which results from liver failure. Below are the symptoms of kidney failure, which you need to know:
· Loss of appetite
· Diarrhea
· Confusion
· Feel very sleepy during the day
· Edema (swelling) in the hands, feet
· Excess fluid in the stomach
Liver failure is a very serious medical condition. Therefore, regularly consulting a doctor is something that should not be overlooked.
8. Stroke
Stroke patients and people who have a history of stroke have the potential to frequently yawn. Doctors believe that yawning can regulate and lower body temperature after an injury to the brain. Some studies also suggest that yawning involves a part of the brain stem (the base of the brain that connects to the spinal cord). Yawning often occurs before or after you have a stroke.
9. Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that can cause frequent yawning. Because this disease can cause fatigue so that sufferers can yawn excessively.
10. Suffering from Asthma
One of the symptoms of asthma is frequent yawning and shortness of breath to take a deep breath. The habit of frequently inhaling, yawning, or taking deep breaths is not always because you are tired, but also because of asthma symptoms. This occurs when yawning aims to get more oxygen into the body and more carbon dioxide is exhaled. This is a subconscious effort by people with asthma to improve the oxygen balance caused by the narrowed airways. Therefore, if you yawn frequently and have shortness of breath, be aware of these symptoms because you may have asthma.
11. Response to Cool the Brain
A study says a yawn is basically a response to cool the brain. When you yawn, you stretch your jaw, which can increase blood flow to the neck, face, and head. When you take a deep breath while yawning, this movement helps expel heat to the brain.
Diagnosis Of The Cause Is Frequent Yawning
To diagnose the cause of frequent yawning, your doctor will ask about your sleep patterns. Your doctor will find out about how much sleep you get. This information can help the doctor to diagnose the cause of frequent yawning. If the cause of frequent yawning is not due to sleep problems, the doctor will run several diagnostic tests, to look for other causes of yawning. One of them is an examination using an electroencephalogram (EEG), to measure electrical activity in the brain. With this tool, doctors can check for epilepsy or other conditions that affect the brain. Doctors can also use an MRI scanner to diagnose the spinal cord and brain, such as tumors and multiple sclerosis. MRI scans are also useful for evaluating function and detecting heart problems.
Treatment of the Condition Is Frequent Yawning
Treating situations of frequent yawning must be based on the medical condition that caused it. If a medication causes you to yawn frequently, your doctor will recommend lowering the dose. Keep in mind; never stop the medication, without the doctor’s knowledge. If the sleep disturbance causes it to yawn frequently, the doctor will recommend a treatment or technique, so that sleep can be of higher quality, such as:
· Using a breathing apparatus
· Exercise to relieve stress
· Follow a regular sleep schedule
METHODS TO STOP YAWNING
1. Take A Deep Breath
If you think that you yawn excessively, it is advisable to do deep breathing exercises through the nose, as the body may need more oxygen. Some researchers claim that yawning is caused by a lack of oxygen. Therefore, taking a deep breath gives your body a chance to get a greater amount of oxygen. In addition, there are studies that have also shown that nasal breathing completely decreases contagious yawning.
2. Take the Time to Drink Cold Drinks
As has been stated earlier, that frequent yawning or yawning suddenly is the body’s response to cool the brain. So, if you think you’re going to yawn, drink a cool drink immediately. But if you are in a room or conditions that don’t allow you to drink, then holding a cold water bottle can also prevent you from yawning.
3. Eat Cold Snacks
This idea is almost the same as drinking cold drinks. Cold foods can prevent you from yawning frequently. Try chilling some foods like fruit or yogurt, then consuming them when you feel like yawning.
4. Using a Cold Compress
When yawning to regulate the temperature of our brain and prevent it from overheating, one method to avoid this is to place an ice pack on the head or at least be in a cold place. Apply a cold compress to your head and see if your yawning habit stops or not.
5. Move
Breaking the routine can also help to rejuvenate the brain, while feelings of tiredness, boredom, and stress tend to make people feel more depressed and yawn more. To stop this gesture, it is also advisable to go for a walk or find a space with a cooler temperature.
Changing your lifestyle can prevent you from yawning frequently at unwanted times.
