Why do my eyes burn when I cry? Everything you need to know!

Do you ever feel like your eyes burn when you cry? It’s a common problem that many different things can cause. In this article, we’ll go over the most common causes of eye-burning and how to treat them. We hope it helps!

Why do people cry?

The lacrimal glands produce different types of fluid that are put on our eyes. Oil glands produce oil that is spread over the surface of the eyes to avoid dryness. As a result, the eye gets wet, and the tears are rolled down our faces.

This fluid differs from tear production as a response to feelings of love or sadness in that it consists of entirely different chemical composition.

Many people cry when they are angry and stressed. This can be a powerful and positive way to relax. But when the eyes are burned while crying, it will affect the crying situation and worsen if you burn your eyes.

Women can cry up to 66 times per year and typically do so during situations of pain or loss. They also suffer from depression with an anxiety rate of 67% higher than men (62%).

Why do my eyes burn when I cry?

Why do my tears burn on my face? Your eyes may make too many or too little images. The purpose of your tears is to protect and moisturize the eye, and sometimes those are produced by your eyes and too little of the salt in those tears. Here are the most common reasons:

Medications

Certain medicines like antihistamines, blood pressure drugs, decongestants, and SSRIs can decrease and affect tear production.

Dry eye

Temporary or permanent dryness of the eyes occurs. Irritants on the eyes, inflammation of tissues, and medical treatments can all cause temporary dryness and itching sensation.

A dry eye is when your eyes don't have enough tears to keep them moist. Treat dry eyes using home remedies, like resting your eyes.

Doctors are the best people to ask about eye problems. They know what to do. The solutions for this problem are Rehabilitation eye drops and artificial tears. Also, one can put a warm washcloth across the eyes to ease the burning sensation temporarily.

Conjunctivitis

Pink eye ocular conjunctivitis is when the clear parts of your eyes get infected. The eyes will be red or even swollen because of this problem.

When your eyes have pink eye, you might feel a burning feeling. They might also be itchy, dry red, and watery eyes.

If you get pink eye, then your blood vessels will get irritated and swollen. If you have this, then try to treat it by taking medications soon. Also, please avoid contact with others because it is contagious.

Toxins Allergens and Toxins

When you are allergic to pet pollen, your eye can hurt. Makeup can also go into your eye. If that happens, it will make your eyes dry or red.

Small things like sand are bad because they can create friction. People's eyes are delicate. If you get rid of the allergen, eye irritation will go away when you remove it.

Many household chemicals have things in them that will make your eyes hurt. They can cause you to go blind, so be sure to tell a doctor if anything has gotten in your eye.

Ocular Rosacea

Usually, burning eyes are caused by the rosacea that spreads over the head and neck. It happens when the arteries in your face expand. This causes redness on your skin.

The disease might also spread to your eyes, which means you have rosacea. This condition causes burning eye skin that has been reddened and itchy. If you don’t treat it early, it can impact your vision.

Pterygium or Pinguecula

Pinguecula is a condition that causes the conjunctiva on your eye. It usually starts as small yellow spots on the eye, closer to the nose. If the Pinguincula continues to grow, it will become a Pterygium that will get larger and larger as your cornea grows.

The cause of such spores is over exposition to ultraviolet radiation. This is probably not a serious medical condition but must be treated if burning eyes affect visibility.

You have to use lubricating steroid eye drops for the most severe cases. You can also avoid them simply by wearing waterproof glasses.

Eye allergies

Crying is a possible risk factor for eyes allergies. When people cry, they sometimes have a feeling that their eyes are burning. This can happen if they scratch or rub their eyes too hard.

Sometimes, the person might feel better with household medicine or if they use an over-the-counter product.

A doctor can treat an allergy with an anti-histamine. Doctors in the U.S recommend allergy shots. Your doctor might also recommend allergen shots, which are treatments for your allergies.

Environmental irritants

Reflex tears contain antibodies to fight infections. You will also probably have more tears that are like emotional tears.

Your eye might feel like it is burning. It will be less painful if you add something irritating to your eye. For example, soap can make the feeling worse.

If you go into a room with smoke or other irritants, your eyes will burn more, and you might cry because of the pain. But when you leave the room, they should feel better again.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an illness where the immune system attacks the body. This starts with the arteries and cartilage. Then, the immune system dries off cells in the body, including those in your eye, making it hard to see.

The result is like dry eyes syndrome since the eye has very little fluid to lubricate its movements. When your eyes are forced into more friction, you will feel a burning sensation.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids and meibomian glands (oil glands) in the eyelids. It can be caused by styes, dry eye, allergies, auto-immune disease, and rosacea.

Blepharitis can cause symptoms such as:

• Itching.
• Unhealthy-looking skin around the margins of the lid margin.
• Crusty deposits on the lid margin.
• Blurred vision because of decreased tear production (dry eyes)
• Redness around the edge of the lid margin with infrequent blinking.

Possible treatment includes:

• Warm compresses to help release oil from blocked or infected glands.
• Antibiotic eye drops or ointment.
• Topical steroids.
• Topical cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion to reduce inflammation.

Rupture of the tear film and burning eyes

When there is not enough oil in the lacrimal fluid, tears can't stay together. So they break up.

If there is no water in the middle watery layer, then tears cannot stay together, which could be why your eyes might burn while you cry.

Sweat

In most instances, your eye can produce reflex tears. If your sweat is not allowed to travel into your eyes, you might experience burns. Sweating can be associated with stinging eyes or facial products.

Wearing contact lenses

If you wear contact lenses for long enough, they might start to leak the oily layer of the lens, damaging the tear sheet. It is going to cause you an awful burning eye.

Long screen time

Working on a computer during peak hours and reducing the blinking rate could increase the risk of the eyes resulting in more skin irritation and burns.

The connection between burning eyes and dry eyes

If you have dry eyes and they hurt, it might be because the tears evaporate too fast and your eye socket is not wet. Dry eyes can help keep your health and vision clear.

If you have dry eyes, it can also feel like a burning feeling in your eyes because you are not wet enough.

Causes of burning eyes? The causes for a burning eye are mild. It can happen if you rub your eyes or look at something bright. If the burning sensation doesn't go away, it means there is something wrong, and you should see a doctor right away. One cause of blindness is when eyes burn all the time.

Tips for good eye health to avoid burning sensation

The best way is to keep your eyes clear by avoiding tingling your eyes and getting rid of the smell and sting. Find out how a healthy eye can help you look and feel great at night.

Use a humidifier

When air is dry around you, Install a humidifier in your home to add humidity to your air. And don't blow a hot eye.

Apply cucumber slice or tea bags

Tea is known to reduce puffiness and burns. First, put the tea bags in the refrigerator and cool them for 20 minutes. Next, put on your eyes for fifteen to thirty minutes. Then, apply cucumbers on your eyelids to soothe burning sensations.

Take breaks between long tasks.

You're on the computer, scrolling through your favorite social media accounts and checking your email. But don't forget: it's important to take breaks!

Close your eyes for 10 seconds every 20 minutes during this session, so you avoid eyestrain injuries down the road when using a screen all day long (hint hint).

Tap or massage the infected area

You can increase and stimulate blood circulation to the burned and affected area by carefully touching your eyes.

Use artificial tears

Use synthetic tears to keep your eye dry and reduce the burning sensation.

FAQs

Why do my tears burn my cheeks?

You have sensitive cheeks. Tears can happen in different places when you are crying. If you are allergic to dry skin, the tears will most likely affect your under-eye area and cheek area because these are less sensitive.

Why do my tears burn on my face?

Salty tears dry up your skin, and the more you cry, the drier your skin will become. When we cry our salty tears can wet our skin and make it even worse. If someone's skin is already dry or becomes dry when they evaporate, more tears will dry them away.

Why do tears leave red marks?

Some people's tears can make their faces turn red. This usually goes away a week later. If you have more dark skin, it will be less noticeable. But white marks can still show up on your body from the salt in your tears.

These are not permanent and do not change the skin but leave salt behind on your body that is leftover from tears.

If the red marks do not get better, it is time to talk to a health care provider. For some people, tears can stain their faces. However, this does not need to worry you.

Why do tears make my face itch?

If your face itches after crying, this can be the same thing that tears cause. Tears from people with dry skin or eczema often make people's skin feel itchy.

So salty tears that dry out the skin could also cause a feeling of itching for some people. This is not harmful and can even help those who have dry skin and eczema because there is no rash on their faces to irritate them when they cry.

What is Burning Eyes?

Burning eyes are when your eyes are irritated. They don't get red enough, and sometimes you will have tears in them. The burn can be from your eye for many reasons, including the weather, sick, or disease.

A common cause of eye problems is not having enough oxygen. If you have eye problems, they should be treated as soon as possible.

Conclusion

I have a few suggestions for how to relieve the pain and discomfort of dry eyes.

• First, don't rub your eyes but instead gently pat them with a clean tissue or cloth until they stop burning.
• Second, use over-the-counter eye drops like Refresh Tears (I find these work best) before you go to bed at night.
• Third, consider using an eyedrop that also includes lubricating agents.

If none of this works, you have to visit a doctor as your symptoms could represent a more serious eye disease. (Trusted Sources 1*, 2*, 3*)

DISCLAIMER: buildyourbody.org does not provide medical advice, examination, and diagnosis.

Medically reviewed and approved by Nataniel Josue M D.