Why do my eyes water when I yawn

Every time I yawn, my eyes will water to the extent that people think I'm crying. No one else in my immediate family has this - is there any particular reason?

If you’re tired or bored, you might feel the urge to yawn. If it’s an especially big yawn, your whole face scrunches up, your eyes close, and your mouth opens wide while you breathe in deep and exhale. When you open your eyes, they are extra watery and your eyesight is kind of blurry. But why do your eyes water when you yawn?

Surrounding our eyes are different types of glands that create tears. Some produce tears quickly but only occasionally, like when we cry. Others produce water all the time, but at a slower rate. Our eyes need to stay wet, so these glands produce tears all the time to slowly release onto our eyes. When we yawn, our face muscle contract and put pressure on the tear glands. This causes them to release excess tears. In addition, most people close their eyes when they yawn, blocking the tear ducts that usually drain excess fluid from your eye.

Therefore, when you yawn not only do you release extra tears, but you also prevent water from being drained from your eye. Together, this means that your eyes water when you yawn.

Fun fact: Reading about yawning can make you yawn! Did you yawn while reading this?