Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: thedoc on 13/09/2013 23:23:36

Title: Why does yawning make me cry?
Post by: thedoc on 13/09/2013 23:23:36

 When you yawn, why do your eyes water? Is it normal?          
Asked by John          


                                        Visit the webpage for the podcast in which this question is answered. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/naked-scientists/show/2005.03.27/)

 

Title: Why does yawning make me cry?
Post by: thedoc on 13/09/2013 23:23:36

We answered this question on the show...

Yes,           it is. Part of the reason is that when you yawn, you squeeze your eyes           tightly shut. [img float=right]/forum/copies/RTEmagicC_SC3A9pulcre_Arc-en-Barrois_111008_01.jpg.jpg[/img]The way that tears flow is that they come out of your lacrimal           gland, which is on the upper outer side of the top of your eye; they then           flow - in a film - across your eye obliquely downwards and inwards.

The tiny           black dot on your lower eyelid is called a punctum, and that's where your           tear duct starts and where the tears drain away.
But if you squeeze your eyelids tightly shut, you close off the punctum, stopping the           tears flowing across your eye and into the tear duct, so they build up in the eye. This makes you cry a little bit, which is why tears appear when you yawn.
       

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Post by: Justin on 11/05/2014 10:50:09

I don't close my eyes when I yawn, still watering. Nice try though

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Post by: Scott on 12/07/2014 17:42:06

I don't close my eyes when I yawn either. Plus, I'm more interested in the reason for increased tear production when you yawn, not just the reason tears may or may not stay in your eye.

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Post by: Casey on 14/01/2015 13:18:17

I don't shut my eyes when I yawn and they still water. Is there any way to stop my eyes from watering after I yawn?

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Post by: JJ on 29/01/2015 15:11:33

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100715051516AARsoda

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Post by: Brad on 20/07/2015 18:51:55

My eyes water right at the stimulus point - whether by reflex or if I cause myself to yawn when popping my ears. The yawn doesn't have to happen for me to get enough buildup of tears to spill out of closed eyes. Sometimes it's quite copious.

I think there's more to it than just a stopped drain -- but I like learning that the puncta are for draining tears only.

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Post by: james on 18/08/2016 11:15:45

my mum dose not close her eyes an yet they still water whats up with that???????????????