Eli5. Why does a large yawn make our eyes water, when just opening our mouth wide while closing our eyes doesn’t?
In: Biology
When most people yawn, they contort their faces, tightening muscles in and around your eyes which puts pressure on your lacrimal glands, which help to produce tears. It’s similar to wringing out a wet rag, but in this case, you’re wringing out your lacrimal glands.
When you open your mouth and close your eyes, you simply are not using the same amount of pressure as you do when you yawn. However, if you tightly squeeze your eyes for a few seconds, you should be able to feel them getting slightly moister.
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