Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — Eye tears are usually associated with crying because of sadness, fear, or even anxiety, or for any reason related to human feelings.
But what if the tears are not related to feelings, is this an indication of a specific medical condition?
Tears without a known cause can indicate:
Allergic conjunctivitis
The American Asthma and Allergy Foundation states that allergic inflammation of the conjunctiva – the membrane that covers the eye – is a reaction to various allergens. This inflammation leads to many symptoms, including watery eyes.
Colds and influenza
Colds or influenza may be a cause of tears in the eyes, as the scientific research site PubMed indicated in a published article that the most common symptoms of colds and influenza are eye tears, high temperatures, and nasal congestion.
Disorder of the functions of the sebaceous glands
In another article published by the scientific research site PubMed, he indicated that one of the functions of the meibomian glands – which are sebaceous glands located on the edge of the eyelid – is to secrete the necessary fats to prevent the evaporation of tears and help maintain the balance of the ocular surface.
And in the event of a blockage of these glands or the presence of any defect and disturbance in them, and a decrease in the lipid layer in the watery membrane of tears, this will lead to an increase in the evaporation of tears, which will be followed by an increase in their compensatory secretion, according to what was published on the site.
Blockage of tear ducts
And the official website of Coventry University Hospital for National Health Services in Britain showed the relationship of blockage of tear ducts to increased secretion of tears. Excess tear production is most commonly caused by blockages in the drainage ducts.
The tear ducts are the small tubes that drain tears, and if the tear duct becomes blocked and leads to inflammation of the lacrimal sac next to the bridge of the nose, painful inflammation may occur that leads to tearing.
This condition may be dangerous if the profuse tears cause severe symptoms, and then a surgery called “nasal tear fragmentation” can be performed to create a new tear duct.
Eyelid sagging from the eye
According to the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital website in Australia, sagging or inward-turning eyelids, or any other eyelid problems, may be a cause of tears.
The most prominent signs and symptoms of eyelid sagging are drooping of the eyelid itself, drooping one or both eyelids leading to an increase in tear flow, and interference in vision if the sagging is severe.
Dry eye syndrome
It may sound strange, but dry eye syndrome is often associated with tearing. The reason for this is that the irritating and uncomfortable dry eye stimulates the lacrimal glands to produce tears so that they flood the tear drainage channels in the eye, according to the website of the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom.
Bell’s palsy
According to the website of the National Institute of Nervous System Disorders and Stroke in the United States, Bell’s palsy is a neurological disorder that causes temporary paralysis or weakness on one side of the face.
According to what the institute indicated, one of the nerves responsible for controlling the muscles in the face is injured, or it may stop working completely, and one of its most prominent symptoms is tears from one eye.
Certain medicines and cancer treatments
Taking some drugs affects the flow and volume of tears in cancer patients, according to what was published on the US National Health Service website, as it published a study aimed at evaluating the clinical features and treatment results for patients who complain of tears after receiving chemotherapy, and included 17 patients with an average age between 14 and 62 years old, with an average follow-up period of 9.6 months.
During parenteral examination, the study showed total tear flow in 29.4% of patients, partial tear flow in 55.9% of patients, and no tear flow in 14.7% of patients.
In another study published by the site that included 11 patients receiving one treatment as an adjuvant treatment after surgery for stomach cancer, it showed that only 6 out of 11 patients had an increase in the amount of tears after taking the treatment compared to before taking it.
2023-07-19 11:29:36
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