8 reasons for excessive yawning you probably didn't know about

Do you yawn all the time? It can be really embarassing, especially if you are in a meeting or talking to someone. Thought to be a sign of disinterest, yawning excessively could be a subtle signal your body is sending you about a more grave underlying condition. Wondering what could be causing that excessive yawning? Here are eight conditions that could be the reason for it. Fatigue or drowsiness: When you are tired or sleepy, it is common to yawn. While the exact mechanism of why we do this is yet unknown, yawning when you are tired is a fairly common phenomenon and quite normal. Here are reasons why you shouldn't ignore constant fatigue. Disorders leading to lack of sleep: Lack of sleep can make you yawn while you are awake. This is your brain's signal that you are tired and need to rest. While your lifestyle could be one reason for lack of sleep, other conditions like central sleep apnea or insomnia could be some reasons you are yawning excessively during the day. Certain medications: Apart from all the other factors in your life, certain medication can also make you sleepy and drowsy, leading to excessive yawning. Medicines like SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), antihistamines (drugs used to treat allergies), other antidepressants, and some pain medication. Vasovagal reactions: This is where there is a problem with the functioning with the vagus nerve. This occurs due to internal bleeding in and around your heart or aorta (the main artery that feeds blood to the heart). It could also indicate a heart attack or a severed aorta. While this is a fairly uncommon symptom, excessive yawning without fatigue or lack of sleep could indicate heart trouble. You may also like to read about the 8 symptoms of a heart attack you shouldn't ignore.  Epilepsy: A condition that occurs due to some permanent damage to the brain that then irritates the area making a person suffer from epileptic seizures.  This irritation causes the brain to send out abnormal signals which can be, in some cases excessive yawning. Again a rare cause for excessive yawning. If you suffer from the problem, it is best you get a complete analysis. According to a study, yawning may be associated with a number of brain related ailments and may be seen in patients with this existing condition and may occur after a seizure [4]. Brain tumour or stroke: This is again a condition where the brain tends to send out abnormal signals, of which one could be excessive yawning. In a paper published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry[1],[2], scientists found excessive yawning to be a symptom in patients suffering from lesions in their brain stem. They hypothesised that it was due to the presence of the lesion  in the brain that was causing irritation of the nerves leaving the brain. Multiple sclerosis: According to a study published in the Journal of Sleep Medicine[3], patients suffering from MS or multiple sclerosis often had long bouts of yawning and sleep problems. The study also stated that people suffering from multiple sclerosis suffer from thermoregualtory dysfunction (inability to control the temperature of their body) which led to bouts of yawning. The study found that although it was an annoying symptom of MS, yawning often provided symptomatic relief to patients. Apart from the above-mentioned causes there may be some more severe causes of excessive yawning including compression of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland.  It may also, in rare conditions, be symptoms of conditions like supranuclear palsy[5]and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis[6] Liver failure: An innocuous symptom of end stage liver failure is excessive yawning. While the exact mechanism of why this happens is not know, some experts believe it is probably due to fatigue. Image source: Shutterstock

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For more articles on Diseases & Conditions, visit our Diseases & Conditions section. For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. For Diseases & Conditions related queries, visit our forum.   [1] Cattaneo L, Cucurachi L, Chierici E, Pavesi G. Pathological yawning as a presenting symptom of brain stem ischaemia in two patients. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 2006;77(1):98-100. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2005.075267. [2] Singer OC, Humpich MC, Lanfermann H, Neumann‐Haefelin T. Yawning in acute anterior circulation stroke. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 2007;78(11):1253-1254. doi:10.1136/jnnp.2006.111906. [3] Yawning, sleep, and symptom relief in patients with multiple sclerosis. Andrew C. Gallupa, , , Gordon G. Gallup Jr.b, Concetta Feoc. Sleep Medicine. Volume 11, Issue 3, March 2010, Pages 329–330 [4]Epileptologie 2014; 31 Clinical Significance of Yawning in Disorders of Consciousness and Vigilance | A. G. Guggisberg, C. W. Hess [5] Sandyk R. Excessive yawning and progressive supranuclear palsy. Int J Neurosci 1987; 34: 123-124 44. [6] Wicks P. Excessive yawning is common in the bulbar-onset form of ALS. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2007; 116: 76; author reply 76-77