Why do we have tears?

Have you ever been playing and gotten poked in the eye or got some dirt stuck in there? What happens? Your eyes make tears. But why?

It’s to protect themselves. You can think of tears as the eyes’ own bathing system. The lacrimal (pronounced lah-kruh-mul) glands, just above the eye, make the tears every time you blink. The tears help wash away dust, tiny germs, or other particles that don’t belong in the eye. They also keep your eye from drying out.

And, if you get sad, scared, or upset, your brain tells the eyes to make you cry and the lacrimal glands made many, many tears. Depending on how many tears your eyes make, they can just fill your eyes or they might trickle down your face. The tear ducts that drain the tears can’t keep up and they overflow.

You can keep your eyes from watering and protect them by wearing goggles when working with tools or playing sports like racquetball or hockey.