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Yawning - excessive
Excessive yawning
Yawning involves opening the mouth involuntarily while taking a long, deep breath of air. This is most often done when you are tired or sleepy. Excessive yawning that happens more often than expected, even if drowsiness or weariness is present is considered excessive yawning.
Drowsiness
Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate...
Weariness
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.
Causes
Causes may include:
- Drowsiness or weariness
- Disorders associated with excessive daytime sleepiness
-
Vasovagal reaction (stimulation of a nerve called the vagus nerve), caused by
heart attack
or
aortic dissection
Heart attack
Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleAortic dissection
Aortic dissection is a serious condition in which there is a tear in the wall of the major artery carrying blood out of the heart (aorta). As the te...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article -
Brain problems such as
tumor
,
stroke
,
epilepsy
,
multiple sclerosis
Tumor
A tumor is an abnormal growth of body tissue. Tumors can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleStroke
A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleEpilepsy
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. Seizures are episodes of uncontrolled and abnormal firing of brain c...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Certain medicines (rare)
- Problem with the body's temperature control (rare)
Home Care
Follow the treatment for the underlying cause.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
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 health care 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?
- Does yawning interfere with normal activities?
- Is the increased yawning related to the amount of sleep you get?
- Is it related to use of medicines?
- Is it related to activity level or boredom?
- Do things such as rest or breathing deeply help?
- What other symptoms are present?
You may need tests to look for medical problems that are causing the yawning.
Your provider will recommend treatment, if needed based on the results of your exam and tests.
References
Chokroverty S, Avidan AY. Sleep and its disorders. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, eds. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice . 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 68.
Gupta S, Mittal S. Yawning and its physiological significance. International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research . 2013;3(1):11-15. PMID: 23776833 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23776833 .
Rucker JC. Cranial neuropathies. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, eds. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice . 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 70.
Review Date: 1/31/2015
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, medical director and director of didactic curriculum, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
