What Causes Sniffles After Crying?

When you cry, some of the tears run down your face. But some of them drain from the lacrimal sac, up near your eyes, down the nasolacrimal duct to the inferior meatus. In the inferior meatus, the tears mix with the mucus that your sinuses produce, giving you a runny nose.

Why do I sniffle when I cry?

When you cry, a part of your brain triggers a chemical reaction in your body, causing the lacrimal gland in your eye to produce extra tears. If you only produce a few tears, they will drain into the puncta, maybe making you sniffle a bit.

Why is my nose stuffy after crying?

You're crying: When you cry, tears come out of the tear glands under your eyelids and drain through the tear ducts that empty into your nose. Tears mix with mucus there and your nose runs.