What disorders can yawning indicate: neurologists explain

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In some cases, episodes of yawning, which have become more frequent, can indicate life-threatening disorders – for example, heart failure, multiple sclerosis.

Yawning is a reflex reaction, and as a physiological process it has long been studied by scientists. Surprisingly, the nature of yawning is still largely a mystery to science. The neurologist mentioned this in particular in an interview.

“Scientists have no clear explanation why a person triggers the yawning reflex. It is believed that this is a special protective mechanism that protects the brain from overheating and lack of oxygen, which helps to regulate the pressure level in the tympanic cavity of the inner ear,” the doctor explained.

Another doctor, a neurologist, said that yawning can occur as a way to stimulate brain activity, which the body resorts to.

“Earlier it was believed that this causes an improvement in cerebral blood supply, but there are data that disprove this theory,” the doctor clarified.

Why does a person start to yawn more often? Yawning that has become more frequent usually indicates that a person has had a sleepless night or slept poorly or is overtired.

“If yawning often occurs during the day regularly and for no apparent reason, it's time to check your health,” neurologists recommend.

The doctor warned that frequent yawning often indicates an existing anxiety disorder, depression . These disorders are closely associated with energy decline, lethargy, abnormal constant fatigue, depression, disturbed sleep – all this contributes to yawning.

Also, frequent yawning is observed in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. This disorder is characterized by breathing stops during sleep and has an extremely negative effect on the state of the brain.

In turn, the neurologist listed dangerous disorders that yawning can indicate: “epilepsy, brain tumors, chronic heart failure, hypothyroidism ( lack of thyroid hormones), some neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.” .