Everyone has moments of weakness whether it is losing someone close, heartbreak, injury or simply a flood of emotions watching Leonardo Dicaprio die in Titanic. No matter the circumstance, the routine is the same. Overflowing tears, interrupted breathing, throbbing headache and…a runny nose? Why does your nose get stuffy when you cry? I’ve noticed time and again that those dreadful sobbing sessions often end with a pile of tissues not for my eyes, but from my nose.
The most basic answer, without too many technical terms, is that when you cry, your lacrimal (tear) glands secrete tears and a series of ducts carry the tears into the nasal cavity. When you’re crying excessively, those ducts can’t hold all of the tears and therefore the tears flow into your nose, mix with mucus and produce our oh-so-loved emotional boogers.
**All research came from the textbook Hole’s Human Anatomy and Physiology by David Shier, Jackie Butler and Ricki Lewis.
On a related note-I was watching my mom’s favorite show Dr. Oz and he said something that struck me. He said that tears that release due to emotional distress (as opposed to tears from something like an eyelash in your eye) do have medical benefits. In other words, crying does make you feel better! According to my research, there have been numerous studies done showing that humans are the only ones that weep for reasons other than to strictly lubricate their eyes. And with that, the tears that are secreted from sadness have more proteins in them than those secreted from cutting onions, for example, which shows that there is a difference. I have read conflicting answers to whether emotional tears have more stress hormones such as prolactin than in other tears. The fact remains, however, that though nothing may be resolved from crying, many (myself included) feel a sense of cathartic release and perhaps a momentary assurance of satisfaction afterward. Besides, have you ever tried to hold in your tears? It’s nearly as painful as the cause of crying itself.
What’s the lesson here? Cry when you need to and when you do, don’t get frustrated when you have a stuffy nose.
**Further research on emotional tears came from these online articles:
“Biological Role of Emotional Tears Emerges through Recent Studies” (1982 New York Times article)
Tears for more than Fears (March 2010 Los Angeles Times article)
4 responses to “Sniff Sniff”
LOVE it! My girlfriend always asks me why she has a runny nose when she cries. I’ll forward this to her, thanks!
:`( at leo dyin in titanic – most saddest part in a movie i can remember but, so worth watching…u should write one about y ppl are attractive bc leo is a good exampel. also y do icbergs exist?!?
You posed a very interesting question and delivered with a very well written, researched, and easy to understand answer. The extra bonus information you included worked perfectly with the post. Bravo Fareeha.
ps. Pattie’s suggestion on people’s attraction is a very interesting topic. I’ve read various articles and books about the psychology behind it, and i think it would make for a great post.
Great first bog Fareeha. Enjoyed it very much.