Frequent Yawning: A Common Sign of Fatigue or a Hidden Health Concern?
Yawning is a natural reflex that involves taking a deep breath (although it doesn’t always involve moving your mouth), and often occurs when you’re tired or your environment is too boring.
We’ve probably all yawned while working, but dismiss it as a sign of idleness or fatigue. But if you are yawning over and over again, it may be something beyond tiredness — frequent yawning could be a sign you have an underlying health problem and you shouldn’t ignore it.
Yawning is a natural reflex that involves taking a deep breath (although it doesn’t always involve moving your mouth), and often occurs when you’re tired or your environment is too boring. Experts agree, yawning is common, but there is no set science on why one does it. Generally we tend to do it as a response to fatigue or boredom especially when we’ve been working endless hours, or when we’re somehow tired or bored. That's all well and good, but what if you're yawning frequently, even when you don’t feel tired at all? It’s at that point you pay attention.
What might be causing you to yawn all the time?
There are several reasons why you might be yawning excessively:
- Fatigue or Lack of Sleep:
Fatigue is a primary cause for yawning. It can be caused by stress, insomnia or shift work if you're not getting the right amount of rest.
- Sleep Disorders:
Sleep apnea or narcolepsy can make us yawn a lot. Sleep apnea, in particular, is bad for sleep because breathing is interrupted at night, which makes you tired the next day.
- Side Effects of Medications:
As a side effect some antidepressants and anxiety medications increase yawning.
- Underlying Health Conditions:
But excessive yawning is linked to heart or metabolism disorders. For example, yawning episodes may be caused by low blood sugar levels.
Other Disorders Including Sleep Apnea
If you’re yawning a lot, it could be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, and leaves you feeling exhausted during the day. Narcolepsy is another sleep disorder in which people are highly sleepy during the day and may suddenly fall asleep.
If you find yourself yawning too much without reason, experts suggest seeing your doctor. "Occasional yawn is normal but there can be excessive yawning that might require investigation to rule out a serious cause," suggests senior physician Dr. Dheeraj Phoolmati Singh.
Note: This article has been prepared on the basis of information collected from medical reports.
Disclaimer: Sangri Today does not make any claim or take responsibility for the information given in the article. Consult your doctor for more information about the related disease mentioned in the above article.
