When is yawning excessive

They may order an electroencephalogram EEG to rule out brain abnormalities such as a seizure disorder. An EEG measures brainwave activity using electrodes on the scalp. To check for any heart problems, a doctor may use a chest X-ray or an MRI scan to rule out heart abnormalities. An MRI scan can show whether someone has had damage to the heart tissue and surrounding areas. Yawning is a normal automatic response to tiredness and anxiety. Excessive yawning can arise from extreme tiredness, a side effect of medications, or an underlying health condition.

If a person find themselves yawning frequently, or more than they would usually for no known reason, they should see their doctor to find out what could be causing it. If they notice any other symptoms that could indicate a serious health condition, they should seek medical help immediately.

Many people feel persistently tired or fatigued, and it can negatively affect all facets of life. The cause of fatigue may be psychological or…. Feeling tired after eating is usually a natural biological response. Certain types of food and the size and timing of meals can all affect a person's….

Blackfishing is a type of interpersonal racism that depicts Black people as stereotypes and portrays Black culture as a product. It ignores the…. What causes excessive yawning? Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D. Causes Treatment Diagnosis Outlook Yawning is an automatic body response to tiredness or stress.

Call your health care provider if: You have unexplained and excessive yawning. The yawning is associated with being very sleepy in the daytime. What to Expect at Your Office Visit. The provider will get your medical history and do a physical exam. You may be asked questions such as: When did the excessive yawning begin? How many times do you yawn per hour or day? Is it worse in the morning, after lunch, or during exercise? Is it worse in certain areas or certain rooms?

Updated July 30, Written by Sarah Shoen. Medically Reviewed by Dr. Abhinav Singh. Why Do We Yawn? Normal Yawning Vs.

What Is a Yawn? Sign up below for your free gift. Your privacy is important to us. Was this article helpful? Yes No. Gupta, S. Yawning and its physiological significance. Provine, R.

Yawning: The yawn is primal, unstoppable and contagious, revealing the evolutionary and neural basis of empathy and unconscious behavior. American Scientist, 93 6 , Simonds A. Curbside consult: Why do people yawn?. The Western Journal of Medicine, 5 , Walusinski, O.

Yawning in diseases. European Neurology, 62 3 , — Teive, H. Yawning in neurology: A review. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 76 7 , — Guggisberg, A.

Why do we yawn? Massen, J. Physiologically, deep breaths and open mouths can cool the brain slightly, but the evidence that this is a real cause of yawning is not convincing. A logical but disproven theory on why we yawn is to improve oxygen in the blood or remove carbon dioxide. This seems logical since yawning does bring in more oxygen with a deep breath and the expiration removes more carbon dioxide than the usual breath, but research by putting people in low-oxygen or high- carbon-dioxide environments does not cause yawning.

The short answer is that yawning is normal. It is common and usually is totally benign. However, if there is an increase in yawning that cannot be explained by lack of sleep or some of the other causes mentioned above, then yawning can be a symptom of some disease. The most common medical problems that are associated with increased yawning are sleep deprivation, insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and many medicines that cause sleepiness.

There are some other medical diseases that cause yawning including bleeding around the heart, brain tumor, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and even heart attack.