I Cry Bitter, Bitter Tears

TychoCelchuuu

Yeah, so whenever I cry, they're all salty, which basically doesn't do anything except sting (I can deal with it) and make me cry more. You can see how that would get irritating, both literally and figuratively. I have a high pain threshold and even though I cry really easy at sad movies I avoid them, but I laugh a lot and sometimes its windy and I can't avoid those two things, so "don't cry" is not an option.

I figured maybe I wasn't drinking enough water or something, but lately I've been drinking more than, like, a marine, but crying is still salt central, or whatever else makes my eyes sting. It might not be salt. I don't care.

Can I do anything about this? It seems sort of an intermittent problem, but if anyone has tips I'd love to hear them. Google says this can happen when eyes dry out and your ducts flood them with tears, which are then absorbed quickly leading to stinging, but it doesn't seem like it happens when my eyes are dry. It only happens when I was crying in the first place.

Mmmm... Cocks...

Well, like you said they have salt in them. It's naturally irritating. You can tell when somebodies been crying, you can see the redness. Perhaps you're a naturally salty fellow?

Raere

Has it always been like that? If so, maybe your tears are just naturally salty. If it just started recently, then it could be something else.

Filler Inc.

I doubt it's the salt content thats stinging you.

Salt and water should be good for you, most contact solutions are saline based.

Dalboz

Well, it's a long shot, but are you washing your face thoroughly, and if so, are you rinsing thoroughly? Maybe there's something on your eye (natural oils close to the tear duct, or soap residue) that's just close enough to dissolve in your tears and irritate you eyes. Just my two cents. Feel free to give change back.

NightDragon

Sometimes, right as my eyes well up with tears, I get a sharp, stinging kind of pain. The pain usually subsides and then goes away after that, though. I used to attribute that to my eyes being dry beforehand (also, I wear contacts, which can get dry and stick to my eye). Do the tears sting constantly, or is it similar to what I just described? A stinging as your eyes tear up?

Filler Inc.

Quick question;

When the tears start forming, is the stinging sensation automatic, or do you wipe your eyes and then feel it?

I know it sounds stupid, but oils from your fingers can cause this.

I sometimes forget not to run my fingers through my hair when I'm about to take out my contacts, or put them in, and then I get acute stinging from the oils and other stuff that might be in my hair.

Bliss 101

If I use any kind of moisturizing lotion on my face, even if I avoid the eye area, it will find its way into my eyes and cause this effect.

Szechuanosaurus

Tears are supposed to contain salt. Saline solutions, as well as being what is used with contacts as has been mentioned, are the basic treatment for eye complaints (sties, dry eyes, sore eyes etc.). Eyes like salty water.

Oils or something sounds much more likely. If my forehead gets greasy it can sometimes get in my eyes and sting.

Sarcastro

It could also be dried sweat redissolving- little bit of uric acid there for ya, pretty unpleasent on the peepers. My eyelids sweat if I'm working hard and it stings like a motherfucker. I generally just lick my thumb and forefinger, close my eyes, and run them up on either side of my nose from just under the tear duct, spreading them apart to each run along the seam of each closed eyelid. (so after your thumb is on one temple and your forefinger is on the other) Works pretty well, and its quick to do.

Tube

stop crying you big baby

EggyToast

I'd agree that it's probably not the actual tears. Tears are just an overproduction of your normal eye lubrication. If your eyes weren't constantly recoated with the same stuff your tears are made of, you'd be *really* hurting.

I think it's something else, like something on your eyelids or fingers or possibly even a loose eyelash. If your eyelashes get loose, they normally will fall away from the eye but not always. A loose one can wash towards the eye if it's sitting on the rest of the eyelashes and cause discomfort if your eyes tear up, as you literally get a hair in your eye.

TychoCelchuuu

Cardboard Tube wrote: »

stop crying you big baby

Cute.

The "dried sweat" sounds like it could be it. That would explain why it only stings sometimes. I don't put any lotion or whatever on my face and it stings before I rub my eyes. I'd have to reason to rub my eyes if it didn't sting, in fact. It's not an eyelash or anything, I know what those feel like. This is on both eyes uniformly.

I'm figuring it's either oil or dried sweat. I'll wash my face more often. Thanks!

IloroKamou

Mmm, it's probably not your tears. Tears contain less than 1% salt, for comparison, the ocean has a salt content of about 3%. While ocean water may be mildly irritating, your body fluids naturally have a salt content of about 1%. Without it, your cells would lyse. It is probably dried sweat on your face.