People Are Only Just Realising Why Your Nose Runs When You Cry

It has nothing to do with sadness and everything to do with a tiny hidden tunnel in your face.

Ever noticed how a good cry leaves you sniffling for a solid ten minutes afterwards? Turns out the tears and the runny nose are the exact same liquid, just taking two different exits.

Your tear glands sit above each eye and drain through tiny holes in the inner corners called puncta. When you produce more tears than those holes can handle, the overflow spills down your cheeks like everyone expects.

But the leftover tears go somewhere sneaky. They drain through a little channel behind your nose called the nasolacrimal duct, dumping straight into your nasal cavity where they mix with mucus.

So the next time your nose runs during a sad film, remember it is basically just recycled eye water finding the back door. Your face is far more connected on the inside than it looks from the outside.