Science lectures can teach you a lot of things, from why canines resemble wolves to the nature of reality, but they always seem to avoid answering one burning question: What the hell is that tiny hole on the bottom of your eyelid?
First and foremost, this fleshy tiny pinprick is quite normal. Some are larger and more noticeable than others. Most people should be able to notice a little almond-shaped hole roughly 2 millimeters away from the inner corner of each lower eyelid if they look up close to a mirror. This is called scientifically as your lacrimal punctum.
Despite popular belief and know-it-alls on Yahoo Answers, the hole does not generate tears, despite being part of your eye’s guttering and drainage system. It’s also the reason you get sniffles after crying. Power comes from knowledge.
It does not, as previously said, generate tears. The tear duct, of course, is in charge of this. The task of the hole is to drain these tears. It’s similar to the entrance of a canal connecting the eye to the lacrimal sac. Tears leak from that sac through the lacrimal duct into the nose, which is why you have a runny nose after crying or why you can sometimes taste eye drops at the back of your throat.
This section is not for the faint of heart
To stop dry eyes, a medical treatment includes inserting tiny cylinder-shaped plugs into these openings. This prevents the eye from leaking so much moisture, keeping it moist, healthy, and better able to fight infections.
Similarly unsettling, the drainage mechanism of the lacrimal punctum can occasionally backfire and reverse the flow. This implies that tears, discharge, air, and even blood have been reported to spray out of these holes. It’s also how some people manage the pretty disgusting “party trick” of squirting milk out of their eyes.
In reality, a Turkish man named Lker Yilmaz holds the world record for squirting milk from his eye 279.5 centimeters (9 feet 2 inches). But seriously, don’t do this at home; it’s a sure-fire way to get a horrible eye infection.
