What happens when I… CRY?
Here’s what’s going on when your eyes begin to well up with tears
DR SUSAN BLAKENEY is a clinical adviser to the College of Optometrists (collegeoptometrists.org)
Whether the trigger is overwhelming sadness or uncontrollable laughter, we humans are unique in that we are the only species that has the capacity to cry when we’re emotional.
Crying is dealt with by the limbic system in the brain, which manages our emotions. It’s hard-wired into the autonomic nervous system (the part we don’t have control over and governs your breathing and heart rate).