# Why do you eyes water when you vomit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113 "2013-01-23T15:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/1 "2013-01-23T15:40:07Z")
I can understand why your mouth waters (to protect your teeth.) But what’s the point of having watery eyes when throwing up? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/2 "2013-01-23T15:46:41Z")
Regret about those last 3 shots of jagermeister …? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/3 "2013-01-23T15:50:32Z")
I haven’t vomited enough in my life to notice this effect. Maybe it’s the smell, the shame in some circumstances, or the greatly uncomfortable feeling, or the feeling of relief. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/4 "2013-01-23T15:54:23Z")
For me it’s the sudden proximity of acrid stomach acid to my sinus/nasal passages. ---
**Author:** ![oldbag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oldbag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldbag)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/5 "2013-01-23T16:03:14Z")
When your stomach realizes that it needs to get rid of a toxic substance, all the other parts go “Crap! What is that? Are we under attack?” Then they all join in to expel whatever it is… That’s why your nose runs too. (I just made this up – but it sounds pretty good, huh?) ---
**Author:** ![kaoticharmony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d78d45/32.png) [@kaoticharmony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaoticharmony)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/6 "2013-01-24T15:57:22Z")
My eyes don’t water when I vomit. I imagine it would have to do with the gag reflex and tightening muscles. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/7 "2013-01-24T16:15:22Z")
I assume any lacrimation is caused by the nervous system stimulating the lacrimal glands. Same for salivation. [QUOTE=Wikipedia] The neurotransmitters that regulate vomiting are poorly understood, but inhibitors of dopamine, histamine, and serotonin are all used to suppress vomiting, suggesting that these play a role in the initiation or maintenance of a vomiting cycle. Vasopressin and neurokinin may also participate. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/8 "2013-01-24T18:48:11Z")
It’s not something that I’ve ever noticed, personally. And there were a couple of years when I was doing it fairly regularly. (Migraines tend to peak in recurrance when you’re in your thirties, then taper off. By 45 they were rare and I don’t think I had one after 53. But during the busy years, I’d always throw up halfway through. It came to be a welcome sign that things were easing up.) ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/9 "2013-01-24T19:37:20Z")
I’ve vomited so hard my eyes watered, my nose bled, and vessels burst in my face. It really sucks. ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/10 "2013-01-24T19:44:37Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I assume any lacrimation is caused by the nervous system stimulating the lacrimal glands. Same for salivation. My eyes water when I yawn, always. And when the smallest breeze blows in my eyes, such as when I’m just walking down the street in any kind of weather. Does this mean my lacrimal glands are hypersensitive? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/11 "2013-01-24T20:10:56Z")
That’s not water in your eyes, it’s stomache bile. When you vomit the natural tendancy is to tilt your head forward. This, plus the pressure of the stomache forcing vomit up the throat pushes some liquid through sinuses (explaining the burning sensation there) and into the eye cavity. The only place it has to go from there is out around the eyes. See the “Doctor” designation in my screen name? It’s a lie. See my answer to the OP? It’s a lie, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/12 "2013-01-24T20:51:12Z")
My eyes pour when I vomit. In cold weather actual tears will drop from my eyes down my face when I’m walking outside, although I’m not actually crying. ---
**Author:** ![ASanders](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asanders/32/3367_2.png) [@ASanders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASanders)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/13 "2013-01-24T21:43:42Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > In cold weather actual tears will drop from my eyes down my face when I’m walking outside, although I’m not actually crying. Yep, me too. I long ago gave up trying to wear makeup if I am going outside. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/14 "2013-01-24T21:57:18Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > In cold weather actual tears will drop from my eyes down my face when I’m walking outside, although I’m not actually crying. Same here, in any kind of cold wind. It doesn’t seem to make much difference if I wear my glasses or not either. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-you-eyes-water-when-you-vomit/648113/15 "2013-01-24T23:29:55Z")
Cold weather, vomiting, and a sappy love story where someone dies all make me cry. I too have wondered why in addition to the horrible feeling in your mouth and the drippy, red, puffy nose, why do your eyes have to get all watery, red and irritated too when vomiting?