Lacrimation

Tears are the watery secretion of the lacrimal gland, which is located at the outer corner of the eye socket immediately above the eyeball. Tearing, or lacrimation, is a continuous and largely involuntary process stimulated by the autonomic nervous system.

Tiny glands, located in the surface tissue on the white of the eye and lining the eyelids, constantly produce a baseline level of tears to keep our eyes comfortable and lubricated. The lacrimal gland, a large gland located beneath the outside brow responds to emotion or eye irritation by producing larger quantities of tears. Typically, the fluid either evaporates or is drained off through tiny canals at the inner corner of the eye.

In some people, tearing becomes a problem. Excess tears well up in the eye because too many tears are produced or, because the tears are not draining properly. Excess tears give the eye a moist appearance, and can collect along the border of the lower lid and overflow onto the cheek.

The tears of each eye drain into a tiny opening in each lid called a punctum. They then flow through a small canal into the lacrimal sac and down the nasolacrimal duct into the nose. This is why our noses run when we cry, since excess tears reach the nose through the normal tear drainage system.

Excessive tearing can result from injuries, birth defects and infections, especially those of the lacrimal sac. These processes can block tear drainage at the punctum, lacrimal sac or nasolacrimal duct and cause overflow tearing. Abnormal lid positions, an in turned eyelash, wind exposure, yawning, glaucoma, certain drugs, or eyestrain can also cause excessive tearing.

However, excessive tearing does not always mean an excess of tears or blockage of the drainage system. Patients with a dry eye often complain of tearing. When the amount of lubricating tears secreted is too low to maintain necessary moisture for the eye, the large lacrimal gland often reacts by flooding the eye with additional tears, causing episodes of overflow tearing even though the underlying problem is dry eyes.

There are so many of these small processes going on in our body...so much so that we barely notice even their existance. Tearing is just one of these processes...one that would be very hard to do without. There are so many songs about tears. Here's just one of them:

*Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you feel the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
’cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven...

Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I’ll find my way through night and day
’cause I know I just can’t stay here in heaven...

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart, have you begging please...begging please

Beyond the door there’s peace I’m sure
And I know there’ll be no more tears in heaven...

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you feel the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
’cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven...*

(Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton)