What are reflex tears?

Reflex tears are special tears your eyes make when something surprises you or hurts a little.

Imagine you're eating a big spoonful of soup, and boom, it's hot! You blink your eyes fast, and suddenly there’s water on your face. That’s reflex tears working hard to help you feel better.

Your eyes have little water sprinklers inside them, called tear glands. When something surprising happens, like a loud noise, or something touching your eye, the sprinklers turn on quickly and send water out. This helps protect your eyes from the surprise, just like how water helps you cool down when you eat something hot.

Reflex tears don’t happen all the time, only when something gives your eyes a little shock or surprise. That’s why they’re called reflex tears: they react to what happens around them, just like how you might jump when you hear a sudden sound.