What is the Cause of Frequent Yawning?

What Causes Frequent Yawning?

Frequent yawning can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'critical'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose frequent yawning, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "frequent yawning" as a symptom. Here are two possibilities:

Schizophrenia
Heart Disease

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

history of birth control pill use

heart attack(s) in father

high uric acid level

rapid pulse rate

major unexplained weight loss

shortness of breath when at rest

hiccups

long-term low-carb dieting

reduced sense of smell

long-term hypertension

heaviness of the legs

diagonal creases on earlobes

... and more than 20 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of frequent yawning:

Cause	Probability	Status
Heart Disease	90%	Confirm
Schizophrenia	57%	Possible

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Sleep-Related Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about frequency of yawning:

Roughly how often do you yawn, on average?

Possible responses:

→ Never / a few times per year perhaps
→ I'd say less than average
→ Average / a few times per day / don't know
→ Many times during the day
→ Several times every hour

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate low frequency of yawning, normal frequency of yawning or high frequency of yawning, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Coronary Disease / Heart Attack

Excessive yawning can be caused by a vasovagal reaction and may indicate a heart problem.

Schizophrenia

It has been observed that schizophrenic patients tend not to yawn often and, conversely, that persons who yawn a lot tend not to have schizophrenia.

... and also rule out issues such as:

Schizophrenia

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™