Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Milk Out My Eye

So this post is a little bit different than what I would normally write about, but this is to serve as a supplement to my YouTube video that tends to get me a lot of email, and a LOT of questions. I am going to answer all of these questions and provide as much information that I can.

My video on YouTube titled "Milk Out My Eye" was posted a while ago, and has reached almost 20,000 views. It has caused a flood of mail to my YouTube account, and the video was even shown on the British BBC talk-show, Lilly Allen and Friends. My hidden talent is not necessarily for the squeamish, and can also be dangerous if done by the wrong person. Most importantly before I go on anymore DO NOT TRY TO DO THIS YOURSELF. Not everyone in the world can do this, and those that can only can due to their unique anatomy. It is like having attached or hanging earlobes, it is the way we are built. If you haven't seen the video here it is below.



How did you learn how to make milk come out of your eye?
This is probably the second most asked question to me by viewers. I did not just decide to put milk in my nose one day and squirt it from my eye. It actually came from a SCUBA diving trip a long time ago. Anyone who has put their head in the water before knows that you have to equalize the pressure in your ears in order go deeper in water. I was doing this while SCUBA diving, and noticed that often times while equalizing, I would sometimes have air and fluid from my eye squirt onto my dive mask meaning I would have to wash it out while under the water. This is gross, I know, but it happens. Soon after that, I learned that if I hold my nose, and try to push air out, air actually comes out of the corner of my eye. It wasn't long before I tried water, and eventually milk.

How do you make milk come out of your eye?
This is caused by a connection between our eyes and our nasal cavity. If you have ever cried, and noticed having a runny nose, this is for the same reason. Our eyes, ears, and nose are all connected, and tears from our tear ducts travel into our nasal cavity causing a runny nose. Now this does NOT mean that if you get a runny nose when you cry you can make milk come out of your eye. Some people just have a passage between the nasal cavity and the eye duct that is large enough to push liquid through without using significant force.

Can you teach me how to make milk come out of my eye?
No, I can't. I would actually suggest that you don't try this at all! A good friend of mine attempted this and actually found herself in the emergency room and in pain for weeks after puncturing both of her eardrums. Putting pressure on your nasal cavity also means putting pressure on your ear canals and ear drums, because they are all connected. If you have ever punctured an ear drum before (I have) than you know that it is one of the most surprisingly painful things you could have happen to you. So if you do attempt this and you start to feel pain, stop immediately.

There is also a risk of getting sick trying this. Milk, as most people know, spoils. Having milk in in your nasal cavity or tear duct for a long period of time could lead to meningitis, which can very realistically lead to death. The smart thing to do would be to avoid this trick all-together, because there are very few people who can do this, and it is dangerous to attempt. I know this all sounds a bit paranoid, but I think it is important to tell all of the risks.

If you have any other questions, you can email me at the contact information at the bottom of the site, or message me on my youtube account. I hope that this works as a good supplement to the YouTube video!