Yawned or cried? Why do tears flow when you yawn

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Yawned or cried? Why do tears flow when you yawn
Yawned or cried? Why do tears flow when you yawn

Video: Yawned or cried? Why do tears flow when you yawn

Video: Yawned or cried? Why do tears flow when you yawn
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After a prolonged yawn, some people shed tears. Many people wonder why tears flow when you yawn. Often people do not realize that these processes are not as far apart as it seems. To understand the reasons, we need to consider separately two processes - the release of tears and yawning.

How we yawn

stretching while yawning
stretching while yawning

Everyone loves to yawn. This process is not always appropriate, but after it some relief is felt. Yawning itself performs a very important function. It brings the body into action, invigorates, does not allow falling into an uncomfortable state for a person. It is believed that a yawn is a type of deep breath. In the process of yawning, all body systems are involved: musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous and respiratory.

The act of yawning is similar to breathing. The air travels through the upper and then lower respiratory tract, enters the alveoli, where gas exchange takes place, and is exhaled.

But not everything is so simple. As mentioned above, this is not a simple breath, but a very deep one. To accomplish this, one has to use manyresources. For example, we stretch when we yawn. Sipping helps to inhale deeply, expand the chest. The alveoli straighten out, which allows you to enrich the blood with more oxygen. Many have noticed that yawning helps with stuffy ears, with a normal breath there will be no such effect. When we yawn, many facial and chewing muscles are involved.

Yawning is an uncontrollable process. Often we cannot stop it in any way, which, in general, should not be done, because yawning can be caused by a number of reasons and does not always mean that a person wants to sleep.

How we cry

lacrimal gland, lacrimal duct and sac
lacrimal gland, lacrimal duct and sac

Separation of tears is also a complex mechanism.

The lacrimal glands, in the figure under the number 1, are located just above the outer edge of the eye. Through the ducts, the tear enters the eyeball, over which it is distributed evenly with the help of the eyelid, according to the number 2 in the figure. At the inner corner of the eye there are lacrimal openings, under the number 3 in the figure. They lead to the lacrimal sac, shown as number 5 in the picture, which communicates with the nasal cavity with the nasolacrimal canal, shown as number 6 in the picture. Excess tears are removed through it, so when we cry, we need a lot of handkerchiefs.

Tears not only keep the eyes moist, but also help remove foreign particles, and some hormones are excreted from the body with tears.

There is a circular muscle around the eye. It distinguishes the orbital, secular and lacrimal parts. Tearful answersfor expanding the lacrimal sac when we close our eyes.

How these processes are interconnected

mimic muscles of the face
mimic muscles of the face

Why do tears flow when you yawn when your eyes and lungs are so far apart? But these processes influence one another.

During yawning, a person needs to capture as much air as possible. With a wide yawn, the lower jaw drops, the corners of the lips stretch, the upper lip can rise. The muscles of the neck and facial muscles are responsible for this. The muscles on the face lie under the skin, when some are tense, others can also become tense, many different muscle groups are involved.

During yawning, the eyes involuntarily close, we squint. With a strong yawn, the mimic muscles of the face tense up especially strongly, most of them are involved. During contraction, the muscles in one way or another affect the tissues and formations located next to them. With strong muscle tension, the lacrimal gland becomes as if squeezed, which is why tears flow when you yawn.

Reasons

crying man
crying man

There can be several reasons why tears flow when you yawn. For example, profuse lacrimation can be triggered by blockage of the nasolacrimal canal, inflammation of the lacrimal sac, and a number of other reasons. The overall secretion of tear fluid increases, which is why tears flow when yawning.

Depending on the state of the lacrimal glands, different people produce different amounts of tear fluid when they yawn. If the gland is to some extent elastic, strong, then the influence of the muscles on it is insignificant. Howeverthe weakened gland is compressed strongly, so there is a copious flow of tears.

This can also be caused by a weak lacrimal gland or, conversely, a very active yawning, which involves many muscles.

It's perfectly normal to shed tears while yawning. Why this is considered strange by some is not clear, because it is as natural a process as sipping, the sound of a yawn or closing the eyes.

If the issue is caused by a general copious release of tears, then the doctor may prescribe procedures to restore the patency of the nasolacrimal canal. In any case, this should not be taken as something extraordinary.

What to do about it

Some people don't like feeling tears in their eyes. Mascara can leak, makeup can go bad. It is almost impossible to fight this phenomenon, but some methods can be used.

If tears during yawning do not give an invigorating effect, but cause discomfort, you can learn to manage this situation. We cannot always control this process, but we can influence it a little. If this is uncomfortable, try not to yawn widely if possible. Then the facial muscles will be less involved, they will not strain the gland. You can also try not to close your eyes. These tips help, but they are not always feasible due to the fact that the process of yawning can only be controlled to a certain extent.

Why is it needed

yawning bear
yawning bear

When you yawn, tears flow from your eyes. Why is it programmed by nature,remains a mystery. However, tears cheer up, bring the effect of cleansing. So does yawning, which often helps wake up a little and feel a little better.

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