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The human body is full of quirks. For example, some people may throw water (or even smoke or milk) out of their eyes.
But how can some people squirt unusual fluids from their eyes and is it dangerous for their health?
It turns out that when someone squirts water from his eye, they put pressure on a bag in the bridge of the nose (where the glasses are usually located) that retains the fluid that comes out of the eyes. This sac is called the tear sac and is part of the tear duct system.
Related: Why do people have “bags” under their eyes?
Tear ducts, also called tear-nasal ducts, are tubes located in the lower and upper eyelids that drain fluid around the eyes. The conduits lead to the bags filled with liquid.
“This drainage system is basically the sewer for tears in the eye,” said Dr. Michelle Andreoli, ophthalmologist at Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group in Illinois and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “The tear duct drain opens to a small lump, which is visible in the upper eyelid and lower at the inner corner near the nose.”
This fluid usually drains into the nose and throat. For example, this is why the nose runs when a person cries – fluid from the eyes flows through the tear ducts, into the sac and then to the nose and throat.
Along the way, there are valves that usually prevent air or fluid from going back into the eye. But, with the pressure, some people may be able to squeeze or squirt fluids into the bag and conduit. It can even make a high-pitched sound, according to case reports published in the Journal of Otolaryngology and Rhinology in 2020.
“Some people may experience reflux or tear duct overflow,” Andreoli told Live Science in an email. This overflow could be air from the nasal passages coming out of the tear duct or fluid collected in the tear sac, expelled by the pressure of a sneeze or a stuffy nose.
One of the most common ways to put pressure on the nasal cavity is to perform the Valsalva maneuver: breathe deeply, close your mouth, pinch your nose, then breathe out for about 10 to 15 seconds. The pressure from this maneuver will often “explode” the ears and put pressure on the nasal cavity. Some people report injecting milk or blowing smoke through this duct when performing this type of pressure building maneuver.
The authors of the case report hypothesized that people who can push air or fluid through their tear ducts may have abnormal valves, allowing fluid to flow back up the duct and into the eye.
Fortunately, these party tips are interesting but not dangerous, Andreoli said – and that’s good news, because the tear duct system is a big player in eye health.
“If a tear duct is not functioning, tears can rise to the surface of the eye,” Andreoli said. “It can cause tearing, redness, irritation and discomfort.”
Originally posted on Live Science.
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