Dear Dr. Garner,

My husband is always yawning. He does this whether he is happy or bored. My friend told me that yawning can be a very serious thing.

My husband is 56 years old and is in otherwise good medical condition. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Excessive Yawning in Douglaston

 

Dear Excessive Yawning,

You’ve asked about an interesting topic. As common as yawning is, we do not fully know why someone yawns. It may be a sign of sleep apnea, insomnia, being tired, being bored, having heart rhythm abnormalities, low blood pressure or pulse and morbid obesity.

Until recently, it was believed that people yawned when they needed more oxygen. This theory has been disproven. Everyone yawns throughout the day. If it becomes excessive, then it may represent an underlying medical problem as mentioned. It is a natural response to being tired.

It is believed by some that people yawn not just because they are drowsy but to cool down the brain. When you yawn, you bring outside air into your body. When the outside air is cooler than your body temperature, it cools down the brain.

Another theory, known as the “evolutionary theory,” states that yawning began with our ancestors who yawned to show their teeth to intimidate others.

Most people believe that yawning is caused by boredom, fatigue or drowsiness. Although we tend to yawn when bored or tired, this theory does not explain why Olympic athletes have a tendency to yawn before they compete.

Some interesting facts regarding yawning are as follows:

• We yawn 20 times a day on average.

• The average yawn lasts six seconds.

• Your heart rate can rise as much as 30 percent during a yawn.

• More than half the population yawns within five minutes of seeing someone else yawn.

• Yawning occurs in fetuses.

• Reading about yawning will make you yawn.

• Blind people yawn more after hearing an audio tape of a person yawning.

Here’s an experiment you can try (preferably not at church): Make a big yawn in a crowded place. Cover your mouth out of courtesy and then watch to see how many people near you yawn. There is a good chance that you will set off a chain reaction.

Before you finish reading this question, it is likely that you will yawn at least once. This is not necessarily from boredom, although we have been told the column can induce yawning.

To get back to your question, is yawning representative of a dangerous underlying medical condition? The answer is perhaps, although not likely. Since we all yawn and most do not have serious medical conditions, it is unlikely that yawning can be explained entirely on this.

It is important to note any persistent changes in our body such as increased yawning. If excessive yawning is occurring in your husband, it is important to consider all the possibilities that I’ve listed. The simple truth is that even though humans have been yawning as long as we’ve existed, we have no clue as to why we do it. We do know that yawning is not limited to humans. Yawning occurs in dogs, cats and even fish.

I think it is a good idea that your husband make an appointment to see his doctor and report the finding of excessive yawning. While the odds are that the examination will be negative, it is important not to disregard the signals that our bodies are giving us.[hr] Dr. Steven Garner is a Fidelis Care provider who is affiliated with New York Methodist Hospital, Park Slope. He also hosts “Ask the Doctor” on NET, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Ch. 97 Time Warner and Ch. 30 Cablevision.