Bloody tears may be caused by hormonal changes
Antonio Brassavola
In the 16th century, the Italian physician Antonio Brassavola first described a similar case: a nun cried tears of blood on the days when she was menstruating. Later, in 1581, a Flemish physician wrote about a 16-year-old patient whose menstrual fluid came out through her eyes like tears of blood rather than through her vagina.
Modern science supports this hypothesis: According to a 1991 study of 125 healthy volunteers, menstruation contributes to ocular hemolacria, or traces of blood in tears. The study found that 18% of women of childbearing age have blood in their tears, but only 7% of pregnant women and 8% of men are able to release blood along with their tears.
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A similar phenomenon was not found in women after menopause. Scientists have concluded that the cause of ophthalmic hemolacria in women of reproductive age is hormones, while ordinary hemolacria is provoked by other factors - bacterial conjunctivitis, environmental damage or trauma.
In May, a Canadian resident was bitten by a poisonous snake on the beach, causing the man to cry tears of blood, experience painful swelling and kidney failure. Doctors attribute this to extensive internal bleeding caused by the snake's venom. Most cases of bloody tears are caused by a traumatic brain injury, a tumor, a blood clot, a tear in the tear duct, or a general infection such as conjunctivitis.
Fleming noted that the cause could also be a small diameter of the tear duct - 2 or 3 mm. Tear ducts are tubes, and if you try to get into such a tube and examine it from one end to the other, there is a risk of leaving scars. In this case, the patient even risks losing part of the tear duct.
"Oldboy" (Park Chan Wook)
It is not surprising that in a country where every second person read The Count of Monte Cristo as a child, Oldboy turned out to be so in demand. Of course, the emphasis is not on the 15 years during which unknown persons kept the businessman in a windowless room, but on the retribution that he inflicted on them. Oldboy (2003) is the middle chapter of a trilogy in which Park also included Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005). The delight in righteous and merciless punishment of the guilty in these three films is taken to extremes, and at times it is almost unbearable to watch. Although for some reason it’s impossible to look away.
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Dwivedi's Flicker From Lucknow, India, Dwivedi presented a rare condition that seemed to cause her to spontaneously bleed from her eyes and other parts of her body without presenting any visible wounds. Dwivedi has been the subject of numerous medical studies and television shows including Body Shock and a National Geographic documentary. In the absence of a medical explanation for her condition, some religious explanations have been raised. It has been suggested that she may have had an unknown illness, but more skeptical opinions have hypothesized that the case could be explained by Munchausen syndrome by proxy, where her mother was seemingly the only one to witness her bleeding in reality. starting, there was a fabrication of the story and somehow causing an effect on the girl. Sanal Edamaruku observed in 2010 that the pattern seemed to match her menstrual cycle and believed that she was faking symptoms. Calvino Inman, aged 22, reported crying tears of blood 5 times a day. Rashida Khatun From India was reported to be crying blood up to five times a day in 2009, and fainting with each cry. Deborah Santos Age 17, from Brazil. She was reported to have cried tears of blood several times in her life. Yaritza Oliva (not officially diagnosed) Age 21, from Chile. Reportedly crying tears of blood several times a day in 2013. Linnie Ikeda (not officially diagnosed) Age 25, from Waikele, Hawaii on the island of O'ahu. She was diagnosed after 2008 with Gardner-Diamond syndrome for her occasional bruising, but in 2010, had symptoms of a split tongue that would bleed. In 2011, Ikeda began bleeding from her eyes. Marnie-Rae Harvey (not officially diagnosed) Age 17, from the United Kingdom. Started in 2013, initially coughing up blood, but has now persisted in her tears since 2015.
"The Maid" (Park Chan Wook)
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Still from the film "The Maid"
Photo: Cinema Prestige
The erotic thriller “The Maid” did not receive any prizes at Cannes, but critics from different countries put it in first place among all films released in 2021. Filmed based on the Victorian bestseller “Delicate Work” by Sarah Waters, it contained a number of explicit and very beautifully filmed sex scenes, which, of course, added to the popularity of the film and attracted viewers around the world to it. In Russia, the film also became an event, and Gosha Kutsenko and Maxim Sukhanov participated in its dubbing. This is a story about an adventurer who assigned a maid to a rich heiress in order to take possession of all her property, but could not imagine how it would all end.
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Tennessee seems to make people cry blood
Calvino Inman
There have been two notable cases of hemolacria in the last five years - Calvino Inman and Michael Spann. Both live in Tennessee, and doctors have been unable to find a reason why they are crying tears of blood.
When Inman, who lives in Rockwood, was 15 years old, he got out of the shower and noticed bloody tears on his face. The young man covered his face with his hands, thinking that he was dying. Spann from Antioch was descending the stairs when he felt a severe headache and noticed bloody tears.
Although the sudden appearance of bloody tears causes panic, hemolacria, however, is not life-threatening. However, the consequences for social life can be negative: Spann, for example, was fired from his job after his employer noticed blood flowing down the face of a subordinate. Since then, Spann has become a recluse.
"Oasis" (Lee Chang-dong)
At the turn of the millennium, major film festivals were amazed at one discovery after another in Korean cinema. In 2002, something else happened: the critical favorite Oasis won the FIPRESCI prize in Venice and, more importantly, was very successful at the worldwide box office, although the film was sometimes painful to watch. There's no self-harm. Just a street hooligan (a rather nasty type) fell in love with a girl with cerebral palsy, and between the two loneliness something so grandiose and spiritual arose that raised them above everyone around them. But they, as usual, did not notice this. Actress Moon So Ri played excellently here (she can also be seen in “The Maid”); in Venice she was awarded the Marcello Mastroianni Prize.
Spontaneous cases of hemolacria are rare
Barrett Ike
Dr. Barrett Ike, director of the Tennessee Eye Institute in Hamilton, has studied cases of spontaneous bleeding tears. His report, first published in 2004 in the journal Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, states that from 1992 to 2003, there were only four cases of spontaneous hemolacria without a medically explainable cause, including the two cases described above that occurred in Tennessee. Dr. Ike emphasized that a case of hemolacria in adolescence, like Inman's, is a rare occurrence.
Yaritsa Oliva
People living in other places have also experienced hemolacria. In 2013, 20-year-old Chilean resident Yaritza Oliva began crying tears of blood, and doctors ruled out any possible causes such as conjunctivitis or blood thickening. There is also information that Indian Twinkle Dwivedi allegedly cries tears of blood, but many consider her illness to be a manifestation of Munchausen syndrome.
Twinkle Dwivedi
“Spring, summer, autumn, winter... and spring again” (Kim Ki-duk)
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Still from the film “Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring Again”
Photo: Pan Terra
Kim Ki-duk was lucky in Russia: almost all of his films were released in Russia, albeit with uneven success. But a special place among them is occupied by this poetic and slow story from 2003 about the inhabitants of a small floating house in the center of a beautiful mountain lake. They have no names, the details of their lives flash before us quickly and easily, remaining in our memory as small but catchy everyday details. To emphasize how personal and intimate this film is, Kim Ki-duk himself played one of the key roles in it. “Spring, Summer...” was shown in our cinemas to full houses for many months, and it turned out that the symbolism of Buddhism underlying it was easily read by our public.
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Hemolacria usually disappears on its own
James Fleming
Hemolacria stops almost as suddenly as it begins. Dr. Icke's co-author, ophthalmologist James Fleming, notes that most cases of hemolacria occurred in relatively young patients. After full physical maturity, bleeding from the eyes decreased and finally disappeared completely.
Spann cried tears of blood for seven years, but the frequency decreased over time. What used to happen daily began to happen once a week. Icke and Fleming noted that in all patients the bloody tears eventually stopped without any consequences. As a result, over a period from 9 months to 11 years, not a single relapse was noted.
"Shiri" (Kang Jae-kyu, 1999)
Shiri (or sviri) is a small fish that is found in the crystal clear mountain rivers of the peninsula. This is also the name of the special operation of the North Korean armed forces in South Korea. Among its participants, the elusive, cruel and very attractive sniper Hee stands out. Top agents Ryu and Lee investigate, trying to thwart the enemy's plans, but Hee always knows about their actions in advance. This hair-raising action film from 1999, made taking into account all the achievements (and cliches) of the Hollywood and Hong Kong film industries, became a real discovery for cinephiles around the world and a box office hit in its homeland. This is where the new wave of Korean cinema should begin.
Simple ways to make you cry
There are several ways to release tear fluid without the use of a psycho-emotional factor. They are effective because a person can be in any mood, but the use of any substance or the use of a reflex will always cause the release of tears:
- Onion. This vegetable contains volatile substances that spread through the air and affect the glands in the eye area. They become irritated, which leads to increased tearing. If a person has reduced tear production with chronic dry eyes, onion can be instilled to trigger the reflex. To do this, you need to dilute the juice from the vegetable with water in a ratio of 1:3. This will prevent excessive irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes. Otherwise, when using a liquid concentrate, itching, burning, redness and pain will occur.
- Citrus fruit. They cause increased production of tear fluid only upon contact with the mucous membrane. Therefore, squeeze the juice out of the fruit and instill 1-2 drops on each area of the mucous membrane of the eyes. After a few minutes, excess tear production occurs. The technique is not applicable if a person is allergic to citrus fruits. When the juice is instilled into such patients, inflammation, swelling, redness, itching, and burning occur.
- The use of medications in the form of drops. For these purposes, drugs are suitable whose instructions describe a side effect - uncontrolled lacrimation (Albucid). After application to the surface of the mucous membrane of the eyes, irritation occurs, which leads to the production of tear fluid. The method is rarely used, since there are easier ways to induce lacrimation.
- Use of inhaled medications. Ammonia and menthol are suitable for these purposes. They are contraindicated for instillation, as this will cause irritation, redness, and inflammation. The drugs are brought to the patient’s nose and inhaled for a few seconds. After this action, lacrimation should develop immediately.
- Exposure to strong winds. For this, it is suitable for a person to be in an open space or to direct a stream of air from a hairdryer or fan into the eyes. Along with air, foreign particles and debris can enter the mucous membrane of the eyes when exposed to open wind. This increases the risk of developing bacterial infection and conjunctivitis.
- Prolonged yawning. If a person yawns for several minutes, the muscles press on the lacrimal sac, causing fluid to be released. This is an anatomical feature for all people.
- Press with your fingertip on the cornea area. In this case, the production of tear fluid will be a protective reflex. For most people, this method is impossible, since the eyelids close involuntarily. This technique is applicable for people who constantly wear contact lenses. The protective reaction decreases as people daily apply a foreign object to the mucous membrane area. It is important to wash your hands with bactericidal soap before using this method to prevent the development of infection.
- Concentrated viewing of one point in front of the eyes. In this case, the eyelids do not close for a long time. The mucous membrane dries, so a reflex for the production of tear fluid is formed. It is necessary to prevent microtrauma in case of damage to the cornea.
The methods used must be safe for humans. Some categories of patients have allergic reactions to plant components. In this case, it is recommended not to use onions or menthol. For such people, reflexive techniques are used, for example, pressing on the eye or yawning.
Each person has their own method for producing tear fluid. For some people, all methods are suitable. Therefore, it is recommended to try each of them to choose the most suitable one.
It is important that in the process of applying the technique to increase the production of tear fluid, the person does not cause injury. If this happens, you should consult an ophthalmologist to avoid the formation of damage or disease.
"Burning" (Lee Chang-dong)
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Still from the movie "Burning"
Photo: PROvzglyad
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The FIPRESCI Prize at Cannes 2021 went to the story about a young man who dreams of one day writing a great novel, but in the meantime falls in love with his childhood friend, but without much reciprocity. She seems to be dating a rich young man, possibly a criminal, and during each meeting the hero tries to find out what the couple's secret is. He is increasingly moving towards madness - and grandiose creative inspiration, which, however, does not make him happy. This is a very quiet, slow, thoughtful and lyrical movie that leaves behind many mysteries. You don’t watch it, but you seem to read it, like the very book that the unfortunate introvert Lee has been trying to write for a long time in his small apartment.
Ways to really cry
To cause real crying, it is necessary to involve a psycho-emotional state. Various techniques are used for this. It is recommended to try many natural crying methods to find the one that works best for you. Crying is a natural reflex, a way of a defensive reaction to change a person’s psycho-emotional state.
While the production of tear fluid is caused by natural reflexes to protect the mucous membranes of the eyes, it contains a large amount of salt, which promotes hydration. In the presence of a psycho-emotional factor, the consistency of the liquid changes, it contains enzymes that eliminate stress and normalize a person’s emotional state.
