Your nose gets red when you cry because of increased blood flow to the area. When you cry, the blood vessels in your face, especially around your eyes and nose, dilate. This dilation causes more blood to flow to these areas, which results in swelling, puffiness, and the characteristic redness often associated with crying.
The Science Behind the Red Nose
When you start to cry, your body initiates a complex physiological response that affects various parts of your face. Here's a more detailed breakdown:
- Tear Production: The act of crying involves the production and release of tears.
- Facial Blood Vessel Dilation: According to Dr. Dagny Zhu, a board-certified ophthalmologist, when you cry, "the blood vessels around the eyes, face, and nose become dilated with increased blood flow leading to swelling, puffiness, and redness."
- Increased Blood Flow: This dilation is what causes more blood to rush to the tissues around your eyes and nose.
- Redness: The increased blood flow is visible through the skin, giving your nose a reddish appearance.
Other Effects of Crying on Your Face
Besides a red nose, you may also experience other visible effects on your face when crying. These may include:
- Puffy Eyes: Increased blood flow and fluid retention around the eyes lead to puffiness.
- Swelling: The dilation of blood vessels can cause mild swelling in the facial area.
In summary, the redness in your nose when crying is a normal response caused by the physiological changes, especially the blood vessel dilation, that occur in your body when you shed tears.
