Yawning before Asthma attacks....... - Asthma Message Board

engineer1961 · 02-29-2004, 11:39 PM

Hi!Just curious to know if anyone else yawns alot right before they have an Asthma attack.........i always just fighured it was because i was so tire from struggling to breath but did search on Google on signs of an Asthma attact and it popped up frequently.

SweetPuff · 03-04-2004, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engineer1961

Hi!Just curious to know if anyone else yawns alot right before they have an Asthma attack.........i always just fighured it was because i was so tire from struggling to breath but did search on Google on signs of an Asthma attact and it popped up frequently.

I don't necessarily yawn a lot before an attack b/c I haven't had an actual attack in years, but I do yawn a lot throughout the day every day. I feel bad if it's during something important b/c I don't want anyone to think I'm bored, haha. From what I know you yawn b/c you aren't getting enough oxygen to your lungs so it's your body's way of trying to force air down. My frustration is that a lot of times I have these 1/2 yawns...and I just can't seem to get a deep breath down. Once I do it feels so good!

engineer1961 · 03-06-2004, 09:54 AM

Good explanation !!!!!!!!!

jerrie97 · 03-06-2004, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SweetPuff

I don't necessarily yawn a lot before an attack b/c I haven't had an actual attack in years, but I do yawn a lot throughout the day every day. I feel bad if it's during something important b/c I don't want anyone to think I'm bored, haha. From what I know you yawn b/c you aren't getting enough oxygen to your lungs so it's your body's way of trying to force air down. My frustration is that a lot of times I have these 1/2 yawns...and I just can't seem to get a deep breath down. Once I do it feels so good!

Yawning actually has nothing to do with oxygen levels.

I may be mistaken, but when I was reading about yawns a while ago (since I really am a boring person like that), they were a sign of anxiety. Frequent sighing was common with depression. A feeling of anxiety is normal with an asthma attack.

jerrie97 · 03-06-2004, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SweetPuff

It would be an interesting Topic to do more research on. I've always heard it had to do with Oxygen and it makes sense to me! I've never had anxiety and if that were the cause then I've had anxiety everyday since I was young!

Now I'm not saying that everyone who yawns is an anxious person. I frequently yawn also. What I've found with some of my yawns is that I can control them...like just now, I felt one coming on and I stopped it. Maybe swallowing lessens the feeling that you get when a yawn is coming on.

Yawning is frequently attributed to boredom and sleepiness though. It's the body's way of waking the person up a bit.

I think the theory behind the lack of oxygen and yawning is that when you're bored or tired you may be hypoventilating and oxygen levels drop a little and the yawn forced air into the lungs. Sounds completely logical. Studies have proven it wrong though. I believe there was even a study done around 1998 that showed that yawning was unnecessary in adults and children, but that it developed the airways of infants. Interesting...yet so boring.