Yawning is a common symptom that I experience when I feel sleepy or very tired. Also, sometimes I feel pain in my throat due to a common cold or maybe because of an increase in infection or injury. However, for the last few weeks, I have usually experienced a painful sensation in my throat while yawning, which makes me worried.
So, I decided to visit healthcare professionals, and they explained the reason why my throat hurts when I yawn. After the check-up, they helped me out of this situation, and now I am fully recovered. Well, if you are dealing with such situations and looking for ways to get rid of pain in your throat while yawning, then let’s understand the causes and other info through this article, which is based on my experience.
Causes Of Excessive Yawning
Yawning is a natural phenomenon that happens to every age group. However, if you find more yawning than normal daily, you might be dealing with excessive yawning. Also, there can be various possible causes of excessive yawning, and it is not under the control of anyone. Some causes are:
- You might be dealing with sleep disorders or lack of sleep.
- Many anxiety and stress medications affect and cause daytime sleepiness.
- It can be due to heavy eyelids, tiredness, or lethargy.
Excessive yawning seems common, but if left untreated, it may cause further complications to health and mind. So, if experiencing certain symptoms, then visiting healthcare professionals can be a better way to stay away from problems.
Why Do My Ears Hurt When I Yawn?
Excessive yawning causes my throat to hurt when I yawn; in the same way, it can lead to hurt in the ears of others. It mainly happens due to putting pressure in the middle ear that occurs by yawning or swallowing food.
When you yawn, the fluid or other particles get stuck in the ear and block the tube. Further, it causes various ear problems like hearing problems, mild or severe pain, and other issues.
Why Do My Eyes Water When I Yawn?
Apart from facing the problem of my throat hurting when I yawn, I also observed watery eyes sometimes. When you are yawning, the lacrimal glands in the eyes produce more ear tears and cause it to be watery.
Also, there is no proven way to stop the yawning and watery eyes due to this, but if you get treatment, you can get rid of it naturally. For this, take care of dry eye syndrome and prevent eye infections or certain allergies that are major causes of watery eyes.
Why Does My Throat Hurt When I Yawn Or Swallow?
There are many reasons why my throat hurts when I yawn, but whatever the causes are, it can be treated. So, knowing the following causes and symptoms can prevent you from bigger problems.
- Pain in the throat while yawning can be a sign of throat cancer that shows symptoms like trouble swallowing or having a persistent cough.
- There can be allergies due to various factors, either environmental or intake of improper diet and drink.
- Throat dryness can be another reason for hurt when you yawn or are swollen.
- Cold symptoms or infections like common flu, cough and cold, and other respiratory diseases can be other causes.
- There are various irritants like smog, tobacco smoke, fluctuation in air density, and other chemicals that can cause a painful sensation in the throat.
After knowing the cause and symptoms, it is necessary to have proper treatments, which can be done either medically or with home remedies like diet, drink, or exercise.
6 Best Jaw Exercises for throat problems
Throat problems are closely associated with the jaw, and if it is healthy, you can swallow or yawn effectively. So, the 6 best jaw exercises are:
1] Vowel Exercise
The vowel exercise is done by spelling out vowels from O to E loudly, at least 2 to 3 times. It will help to get a healthy jaw and reduce excessive yawning. Further, it improves sound quality, clarity, and elements from the throat.
2] Facial Exercise
Many facial exercises are done by expressing your face in different emojis like happy, sad, angry, or others. It helps grow muscles and promotes healthy skin and face.
3] Tongue to Roof Stretching
Tongue-to-roof stretching is another best jaw exercise that is done to have a healthy jaw. It is done by raising the tongue to the roof of your mouth and then holding it for 15 minutes. You can do it 2 to 3 times and increase the flexibility of the tongue and jaw.
4] Jaw Flex And Chin Lifts
Jaw flex and chin lifts are another best jaw exercise that is done in a standing or sitting position. You have to watch the ceiling and rotate your eyes and head until you can fully concentrate on it. Besides, this exercise helps to strengthen your cheek, lip, jaw, and neck muscles.
5] Breath And Stress Release Exercise
Breathing and stress release are done by deep breathing and concentrating on a particular point. You just have to do it for at least 15 minutes. Further, it helps in relaxing muscles of the neck, jaw, and other parts and makes them healthy.
6] Opening And Closing Of The Mouth
It is done by opening and closing the mouth continuously for 10 minutes. It will help relax the muscles of a chick’s jaw and neck.
Conclusion
Usually, yawning pain may be a sign of a life-threatening medical condition like throat cancer or other respiratory problems. So, it must be taken into consideration and treated thereby. Besides, the above explanation would help you better understand why my throat hurts when I yawn, and I’m sure you must have the right solution in hand now.
Moreover, there can be many other possible ways to get rid of a sore throat and have a healthy neck and jaw. Also, following certain exercises can eventually treat these situations and help you get a healthy jaw.
FAQs
Q1. What does throat pain feel like when yawning?
When you are yawning, you may feel pain like itchy, sharp, and rough throat that gives discomfort.
Q2. How to treat throat pain when yawning?
The treatment of throat pain can be done by gargling with warm water with added salt, avoiding air pollution, drinking hot beverages, and following a healthy diet. Otherwise, anti-fungal medicine can help you better.
Q3. Is excessive yawning a problem?
Yawning is common in many people, but if there is excessive yawning, it may be a sign of infection or throat cancer. So, you must take advice from a doctor.
Q4. Why are yawns contagious?
Yaws are considered contagious because of a phenomenon called echopraxia. Here, the person mimics in the same way when they see others if they are habitual to it.
References
- Doelman CJ, Rijken JA. Yawning and airway physiology: a scoping review and novel hypothesis (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9663362/). Sleep Breath. 2022;26(4):1561-1572. Accessed 10/16/2023.
- Library of Congress (U.S). Why Do We Yawn? (https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/biology-and-human-anatomy/item/why-do-we-yawn/) Published 11/19/2019. Accessed 10/16/2023.
