• Question: why do some people cry when they yawn ?

    Asked by jessicahudson to Betul, Bridget, Ceri-Wyn, Laurel, Maria on 22 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Bridget Waller

      Bridget Waller answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Good question – it is probably a physiological response as ear/nose/throat is all connected. I doubt it has a specific facial expression function, but this would need to be tested to find out!

    • Photo: Ceri-Wyn Thomas

      Ceri-Wyn Thomas answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      I guess yawning puts a bit of pressure on your tear ducts and causes them to produce tears- it’s not really crying, it’s just your eyes watering up. At least that’s what I think.

    • Photo: Betul Arslan

      Betul Arslan answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Good question! The answer is not really known… an idea is that yawning contracts a lot of facial muscles. These contracting facial muscles squeeze your tear glands and forces tears to come out. Apparently a lot of muscles are involved in yawning… and after saying tons of yawn now I feel like yawning too 🙂

    • Photo: Maria Pawlowska

      Maria Pawlowska answered on 22 Jun 2010:

      Hi, great question Jessica – I’m actually one of those people. It can be pretty annoying! 🙂 It’s because if you shut your eyelids tightly, you stop the tears flowing across your eye and into the tear duct and so they have to come out.

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