Diseases, endocrinologists. MRI
Site search

Frequent yawning causes. What reasons cause yawning in people, and how does it affect the body?

There is no person in the world who has never yawned. Even the unborn fetus in the womb yawns.

What is yawning?

Experts in the field of anatomy and medicine describe yawning as a reflexive breathing act, which is accompanied by a deep inhalation and a short exhalation. During yawning, the mouth, pharynx and glottis are open, so at such a moment the body receives a large number of oxygen.

What are its reasons?

Why does a person yawn? There are many explanations for what could cause this phenomenon. However, not all of them are fully studied and scientifically substantiated.

Scientists highlight following reasons occurrence of yawning:

  1. Maintaining balance carbon dioxide and oxygen in the human body.
  2. Nervous system protection. Yawning can occur during some exciting event or during a conversation. In this case, it acts as a sedative that helps the body cope with stress.
  3. Lack of minerals and vitamins in the body.
  4. The body needs an energy boost. During yawning, the body is enriched with oxygen, which has a beneficial effect on blood circulation and can be considered as a kind of stimulus for activating energy reserves.
  5. Relaxation. Very often a person begins to yawn when he wants to sleep. In this case, the mechanism of action of yawning is as follows: it allows the body to relax and better prepare for sleep.

  1. Yawning initiates the opening of the communicating channels of the throat and ears, thereby relieving the feeling of congestion due to temporary pressure dissonance.
  2. Regulation of brain temperature. Often a person yawns during extreme heat, when the brain needs additional cooling due to the intake of air.

Why is yawning contagious?

In places with large crowds of people, you can often observe the response of people around you to the fact that someone yawned. It manifests itself in the fact that a few seconds after one person yawns, everyone who observed this phenomenon, begin to yawn one after another. Causes similar phenomenon, according to experts, there may be two.

Nonverbal reflex

The "nonverbal reflex" theory suggests that yawning is passed from one person to another due to "primitive memory." Our ancestors, who lived under a primitive communal system, did not communicate using the speech apparatus. Therefore, when people went to bed at the same time, the leader’s yawn was regarded as a “signal” to sleep for the entire tribe. And they were obliged to support him with an appropriate response.

Empathy

The fact that in a large group only a few people become “infected” by yawning when someone else yawns may indicate their tendency toward empathy. Studies conducted in America, England and Japan have proven that those who have a more developed area of ​​the brain responsible for empathy preferentially “pick up” yawns.

Why do my eyes water when I yawn?

Many people have probably noticed that when you yawn, your eyes water. This is easy to explain human physiology. During yawning, the eyes close, which leads to compression of the lacrimal sac and contraction of blood vessels in the tear ducts.

Therefore, tears do not always have time to get into the nasopharynx and pour out of the eyes.

Why do some people yawn during prayer?

Often people begin to involuntarily yawn during prayer. Believers explain this reaction by the presence of an evil eye or damage in the yawning person.

However, if this is a completely normal physiological phenomenon, try to evaluate it with scientific point view - the conclusions will look like this:

  • Most often people yawn in the morning or evening time- Church services usually take place at this time. During this period, the body has not yet fully engaged in work and tries to enrich the brain with oxygen through yawning. Or it’s time to get ready for bed, that is, it’s time to relax.
  • If a person prays in front of others and says the prayer out loud, then yawning can begin simply from elementary excitement.

How to deal with yawning?

If yawning occurs periodically, then there is no reason to worry. However, if a person yawns frequently and continuously, such a phenomenon can serve as a signal that the body senses oxygen starvation, is on the verge of exhaustion or is experiencing some kind of malfunction.

In this case, following these simple recommendations can help you overcome yawning:

Exercise "deep breaths"

At certain intervals (for example, after 1 hour), it will be useful to take 5-6 deep, slow breaths. When an inappropriate yawn is approaching, you need to take a deep breath through your mouth and exhale through your nose, or wet your lips with water (first the upper one, then the lower one).

The duration of sleep varies for each person: for some, full recovery It is enough to sleep 8-10 hours a day, and for some people even 6 hours is enough. It is very important to determine your amount of time and get enough sleep regularly.

Also, if possible, try to rest during the day. IN daytime A rest of 20 minutes will help the body relax and gain strength, while it will not allow you to switch to full sleep.

Straight back

To keep your spine healthy and prevent yawning, you should constantly monitor your posture. With a bent back, the diaphragm does not work “to its fullest,” which can initiate causeless “yawning.”

Sports and healthy lifestyle

During sports, the body is saturated with oxygen, which allows a person to remain alert throughout the day. In addition to training, it would be highly advisable to avoid bad habits and take walks in the fresh air as often as possible.

Proper nutrition

A nutritious diet and eating in moderation can also prevent the occurrence of yawning. It is advisable to include in meals only those foods that belong to healthy eating(exclude fast food, excessively high-calorie sweets, food waste).

In addition, you should try to drink 1.5-2 liters of purified water per day.

Medications

Also, reducing the intake of a variety of foods to the required minimum will help eliminate the appearance of causeless yawning. medicinal drugs, especially antihistamines.

Such a simple reflex as yawning has not yet been fully explained by scientists. However, there are many theories about why people yawn. Moreover, this process is often the first signal about the presence or development of various internal diseases, exacerbations and relapses of chronic pathologies.

Why do you want to yawn?

The main guesses are as follows.

Calming effect

It has been noticed that people often yawn on the eve of any exciting events: competitions, exams, performances. In this way, the body independently adjusts to a favorable result.

Restoring carbon dioxide balance

There is an opinion that during yawning the supply of oxygen in the blood is replenished, but experiments have shown that even with its deficiency, the frequency of the reflex in question does not increase.

Regulation of pressure in the middle ear

Straighten up when yawning eustachian tubes and the canals of the maxillary sinuses, which relieves short-term ear congestion.

Awakening the body

Yawning in the morning gives you energy, helps saturate the blood with oxygen, helps you wake up, and improves blood circulation. The same factors provoke yawning when tired and fatigued.

Keeping active

It has been noted more than once that the described reflex occurs when a person is bored. Prolonged muscular passivity and mental overload lead to people falling asleep. Yawning helps get rid of this sensation, since in the process the muscles of the neck, face, and oral cavity.

Regulation of brain temperature

There is an assumption that when the body overheats, it is necessary to cool the brain tissue by enriching the blood with air. The process of yawning contributes to this mechanism.

Relaxation

The reflex in question is also universal, because in the morning it helps to cheer up and before bed - to relax. Yawning prepares a person for good sleep, relieves tension.

Why does a person yawn very often and a lot?

If this phenomenon occurs to you infrequently, perhaps you are simply overtired, exposed to stress and anxiety, and do not get enough sleep. But periodic repetition should cause concern and be a reason to visit a doctor.

This is why you always want to yawn:

As you can see, the reasons for frequent yawning are quite serious and this reflex may indicate a number of serious illnesses. Therefore, if you notice a recurrence of this phenomenon, do not delay your visit to the therapist and be sure to undergo an examination.

Why does a person yawn when someone else yawns?

Probably everyone has noticed how contagious yawning is. As a rule, if someone nearby yawns, those around them will sooner or later also succumb to this reflex.

In the course of interesting medical experiments and psychological studies, scientists have finally figured out why people yawn after each other. To do this, the subjects were connected to a special device that reflected the activity of various brain zones in the color spectrum. It turns out that during the described process, the area of ​​the brain that is responsible for empathy and compassion is activated. Thus, we can conclude that a person who yawns when someone else yawns next to him is a subtle and vulnerable, responsive person. This statement is confirmed by the fact that people with autistic syndrome are not susceptible to this condition.

Yawning is an unconditioned reflex, manifested as an involuntary respiratory act. First, there is a deep breath, during which the mouth opens wide, then the pharynx and glottis. After which a quick exhalation is carried out, accompanied by a characteristic sound. Let's consider what may be associated with frequent yawning.

As a result, metabolic products accumulate in the blood, which causes yawning. During yawning, the blood is enriched with oxygen; in addition, there is an increase in the speed of blood flow occurring in the vessels of the brain. This is due to the fact that during yawning, tension occurs in the muscles of the face, mouth and neck. This helps improve blood supply to brain cells, the flow of more nutrients and removal harmful substances. As a result, brain activity is activated.

In some cases, frequent yawning occurs before the time comes for all sorts of important activities for a person. For schoolchildren these are exams, for artists these are performances. It is believed that this is how the body prepares for upcoming stress. Yawning can occur before a person is about to perform any tricks (skydiving, ski jumping), thus the body suppresses the feeling of fear.

There is also an opinion that yawning occurs when there is a lack of air. In this case, it is recommended to leave the stuffy room or ventilate it.

IN in rare cases yawning can be a sign of the development of certain diseases, so if it appears frequent yawning, then you should consult a doctor.

The contagiousness of yawning

Yawning can be transmitted from one person to another nearby. People who can empathize are more susceptible to this phenomenon.

Yawning during prayer

If during prayer you begin to yawn, and the yawning continues for a long time, and at the same time you notice that only this room affects you in this way, then it is possible that the yawning occurs for physical reasons, which include rare ventilation of the room. If you yawn, no matter what room you are in and what time of day it occurs, then it is possible that you are a victim of evil spirits. This is due to the fact that devilry makes an attempt to prevent a person from reading prayer by sending him sneezing, yawning, scabies, etc. Then it's worth trying the following. During the waning moon period, it is recommended to light a blue candle every day, place it in an uncut glass, previously filled with salt, and read the plot 3 times (at this time you should try not to yawn).

Conspiracy: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I expel from myself, from those around me, furry devils, black demons, evil devils and all the evil spirits of the underworld. I conjure you, unclean ones, not to come near me from now on, not to ruin my prayer. Amen"

Every person yawns, even in the womb. Why does a person yawn? Yawning is an involuntary reflex, a breathing act. To get a larger portion of air, a person begins to yawn. When inhaling, a person opens his mouth, pharynx and glottis wide. Both men and women are susceptible to yawning. This process contagious, if a person looks at someone yawning, he will also yawn. The reason why a person yawns often is that he often lacks oxygen.

Reasons for yawning

There can be many reasons why a person yawns:

  • Oxygen replenishment. When a large amount of carbon dioxide accumulates in the blood, the body reacts to this by yawning. When yawning, a person opens his mouth wide and receives a large amount of oxygen.
  • Energy replenishment. A person needs to yawn after sleep to invigorate the body. Therefore, a person may yawn when tired after a working day. If you stretch while yawning, the blood is actively saturated with oxygen and blood circulation increases. The person becomes more alert and attentive.
  • Calming effect. A person may yawn when he is very worried before a significant event. Yawning occurs before a speech, exam, or other stressful situations. When yawning, a person becomes toned, calms down and experiences excitement.
  • Beneficial effect on the ears and nose. Thanks to the yawning process, the channels going into the maxillary sinuses and Eustachian tubes, which helps relieve ear congestion. During yawning, air pressure in the middle ear normalizes.
  • Relaxation and relaxation. Yawning can help relieve stress. Some breathing exercises use yawning for relaxation. To do this, you need to lie down, relax and open your mouth wide, as when yawning. This will help relieve stress and fatigue, prepare for sleep and calm down.
  • Boredom and apathy. Why do people yawn when they are bored? Blood stagnation occurs in the brain due to passivity. A person is not interested, he is forced to listen to boring information, so he yawns to cheer himself up. Some studies have shown that yawning can help relieve stress. Therefore, a person may yawn involuntarily during lectures or during a monotonous conversation.
  • Brain nutrition. During the passive period, when a person does not move and is bored, the functioning of nerve cells decreases and breathing becomes slower. While yawning, people replenish the required amount of oxygen, and blood supply to the vessels of the brain increases. When a person yawns, he opens his mouth wide, so a high level of oxygen enters the cells. The brain is saturated with oxygen, and the person is invigorated.
  • Regulating brain temperature. Some scientists believe that yawning regulates the temperature of the brain, which is why people yawn when it's hot in the summer. Thanks to a large portion of cool oxygen, brain cells cool down and begin to function normally. The blood is saturated with oxygen and the person becomes cheerful and rested again.

Help with frequent yawning

If you yawn frequently, it means your body lacks oxygen and sleep. To replenish oxygen in the body, it is necessary to frequently exercise hiking, play sports, perform breathing exercises. The room should be constantly ventilated before going to bed. If you are attacked by yawning at work, you should go out or open the window, warm up and stretch. This will help you cheer up and tone up, and also make your brain work more actively. Every hour you need to warm up, go outside if possible, or open a window.

The reason why a person yawns often may be serious disorders in the body, such as Iron-deficiency anemia, chronic fatigue, low blood pressure and others. If yawning is accompanied by weakness and apathy, the reason may be anemia or a lack of vitamins in the body, insufficient nutrition and excessive dieting. If you have frequent yawning, you should consult a doctor and get examined.

A condition such as chronic fatigue can be the reason why a person yawns. This is a very dangerous phenomenon, since the body is exhausted and needs rest. Many people do not pay attention and do not go to the doctor, thinking that it is simple fatigue. Chronic fatigue can impair the functionality of all body systems. Pressure may increase and fail the immune system, the risk increases heart attack and stroke, infertility occurs and the aging process accelerates. Stress over a long period of time can lead to anxiety disorder or depression.

Some people, far from medicine, believe that yawning is a sign of drowsiness or boredom. In fact, this is an uncontrolled reflex of the body, which can manifest itself in the most various reasons.

Why does a person yawn?

Often yawning, especially frequent and severe, indicates health problems or chronic fatigue, nervous overstrain. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the causes of yawning and take the necessary measures.

Why does yawning happen?

The reasons that trigger the yawning reflex are not yet fully understood. Many doctors, biologists and physiologists believe that a person begins to yawn not only when he is bored or sleepy, but also when the body lacks oxygen - for example, when being in a stuffy, poorly ventilated room. Because of this, metabolic products accumulate in the blood. They affect the respiratory center of the brain, thereby not only activating inhibition processes, but also provoking yawning.

The physiological act of yawning itself consists of two phases: slow take a deep breath, in which the facial and neck muscles, and a quick, sharp exhalation. Muscle tension increases the speed of blood flow, which improves blood supply to the brain and accelerates metabolic processes. In addition, impulses from tense muscles excite nerve cells cerebral cortex, which leads, as it were, to “shaking off” the processes of inhibition.

Therefore, after yawning, the brain begins to work more actively (though not for long)

Some scientists believe that yawning functions as a thermoregulatory function for the brain. They compare the brain to some complex electronic device, which begins to work worse when overheated. Yawning, by providing blood flow and cooler air to the brain, relieves it from overheating and thereby improves functioning.

It is not uncommon for a person to yawn immediately after waking up in the morning. This happens because due to prolonged immobility, the speed of blood flow in his body has decreased, and the concentration of carbon dioxide and other metabolic products in the blood, on the contrary, has increased.

Constant yawning also often occurs when performing work associated with risk or anxiety, or increased responsibility. This can happen to people from all walks of life and different situations: with test pilots before flights, stuntmen before performing risky stunts, actors before going on stage, surgeons before complex operation etc.

The reason is that with strong emotional stress and excitement, a person instinctively tries to hold his breath. The oxygen content in the blood quickly drops, and carbon dioxide increases. Then the body just as instinctively turns on the yawning mechanism, saturating the blood with oxygen.

Yawning is a signal of illness

What health problems can yawning indicate and how to get rid of it? If a person yawns frequently, especially during the day, this indicates that his body does not have enough oxygen. It is necessary to reach Fresh air or at least ventilate the room.

Frequent yawning, especially in combination with feeling physical weakness, lethargy, apathy, may also indicate overwork or emotional stress. This is a signal that the body needs rest. You need to take at least a short vacation or at least, reduce the load, streamline the daily routine, avoid stressful and conflict situations. Sleep should be long enough, and the sleeping area should be well ventilated.

Yawning is also one of the signs vegetative-vascular dystonia. This disease is treated with restorative and sedatives. It is also necessary to study physical therapy and avoid worries and stressful situations.

In some cases, as prescribed by a doctor, the patient is prescribed antipsychotic drugs

Frequent yawning can also be a symptom of the development of such a terrible disease as multiple sclerosis. It occurs when the body's immune system for some reason begins to accept its own central nervous system for foreign tissue, attacks and damages it. These attacks can occur in different places body (absent-mindedly). Depending on where exactly the damaged areas of the brain are located, the patient experiences certain symptoms. Most often in the early stages of the disease they manifest themselves in the form of visual impairment, muscle weakness, deterioration in coordination of movements, fine motor skills.

Until relatively recently, the diagnosis of “multiple sclerosis” was considered a death sentence, dooming a person to rapid disability and helplessness. Now with the help modern medicines it is possible to avoid the development of the disease without causing disability. But for this it is necessary to detect multiple sclerosis on early stage. Therefore, when frequent yawning It is necessary to consult a neurologist who will give a referral for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and, if foci of brain damage are detected, prescribe treatment.