Why Do My Tears Burn Like Acid?

When you cry, you may experience burning in your eyes and a stuffy nose in some cases.

Have you ever wondered why?

Tears are constantly produced to keep our eyes moist.

Tears are necessary for our eyes to function properly and for us to see clearly.

Tears are produced by the lacrimal glands located inside the upper eyelids.

When we blink, tears spread over the entire surface of the eye.

The tear then drains into the nasal cavity through the tear ducts located at the junction of the upper and lower eyelids.

The tear is reabsorbed here.

This system works constantly, even if we are not aware of it.

Our eyes produce 50-100 liters of tears in a year.

Since the amount of tears produced in our eyes increases when we cry, the amount of tears flowing into the nasal cavity also increases and the tears mix with the mucus and flow out of our nose.

This explains why our noses get blocked when we cry.

Why Do My Tears Burn Like Acid?

The biggest reason why our eyes burn when we cry is that the salt produced in our eyes moves towards our skin.

The salt in our tears irritates our skin, which causes our eyes to burn like acid when we cry.

When we cry, we constantly rub our eyes with our hands.

This causes irritation to our skin.

Then your tear water continues to flow to the irritated skin.

This water also contains salt, and as it is known, salt burns the irritated area.

When you cry, instead of wiping your eyes to reduce irritation, gently press the napkin and wait.

The napkin will absorb the amount of fluid draining from the eye.

This minimizes the risk of irritation to your eyes and helps you avoid acid burns to your eyes.

If you wake up with dry eyes in the morning, you can check out this article.

Other Causes Of Burning Eyes

If your eye is burning like acid even without crying, there may be other reasons.

Conjunctivitis is the most common cause of burning eyes.

Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are usually benign conditions that heal spontaneously.

Serious complication rate is low.

Contact with allergic and corrosive substances are other common causes of eye burns.

Other causes of eye burn are bleeding under the conjunctiva, dry eye, corneal erosion, foreign body, sty, thyroid-related eye diseases, and acute glaucoma.

Symptoms include redness, itching, sensitivity to light, and vision changes.

Treatment is tailored to the cause.

The eyes, like other organs, can be affected by environmental conditions in certain periods and may encounter some diseases.

Even if it is protected from the negative effects of the environment, discomfort in different parts of the body can cause problems in the eyes.

Burning eyes is one of the main eye diseases.

Burning eyes is a complaint that makes itself felt, especially with the watering that occurs in the part of the eye, which we call the eye spring, near the nose.

Burning eyes can be caused by various diseases, as well as the main symptom of many diseases.

For this reason, if the burning in the eyes lasts for a long time or recurs frequently, it is a health problem that requires consultation with a doctor.

The causes of burning eyes can be caused by many different problems.

Therefore, determining the cause before starting the treatment is important for a good treatment.

The biggest factors that cause burning sensation in the eyes are smoking, prolonged exposure of the eyes to the sun, chlorine, wind, allergies, dry eyes, eye strain and other conditions.

Cigarette smoke

It has a negative effect especially on sensitive eyes.

In order to understand whether cigarette smoke touches your eyes, observe whether your eyes relax by moving away from that environment while smoking in a closed environment and into the open air.

If there is a decrease in the burning sensation, the source of the burning is cigarette smoke.

Sun

Eyes are the organs most affected by its harmful effects.

In addition to the burning sensation, the sun effect, which manifests itself with redness in the eyes, continues in the form of persistent complaints and reduces the quality of vision if no precautions are taken or treated.

Chlorine

Especially the chlorine in the pool water creates sensitivity in the eyes.

If there is a slight predisposition in the eyes, the possibility of infection increases.

It is not easy not to be affected by this situation, but when you enter the pool, you may not be affected by this negativity by opening your eyes less in the water.

Wind

It is another environmental factor that causes burning in the eyes.

Along with the pollen in the air, small dust and dirt particles flying off the ground harm your eyes.

Hair spray or hair dye are completely chemical products.

These products have negative effects on the skin, especially the eyes.

If hair spray or hair dye comes into contact with your eyes, immediately wash your eyes with plenty of clean water.

In addition, avoid contact with the indoor air by going outdoors.

Diseases That Cause Burning Eyes

Fever in the eyes, dry eyes, Eye fatigue (asthenopia), Bacterial infections, Fear of light (photophobia) are the main diseases that cause eye burns:

Dry Eye

(Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca) Dry eye is a common problem due to insufficient tear production or quality.

Dry eye can cause mild eye irritation.

The patient typically complains of foreign body sensation, burning, and paradoxical watering.

Symptoms, which are more pronounced at night, worsen as the day progresses.

Common conditions that cause dry eye are listed below:

• Dysfunctional tear syndrome
• Abnormal eyelid position
• Immune system diseases (Sjogren’s syndrome, etc.)
• Hormonal imbalance

The following medications can also cause dry eyes:

• Anticholinergics
• Antihistamines
• Tricyclic antidepressants
• Beta blockers

Conjunctivitis may also cause dry eye.

It is a disease that occurs when the inner surface of the eyelid and the thin membrane covering a part of the white part of the eye are inflamed or infected.

Conjunctivitis can be transmitted virally or it can be caused by infection.

Eyestrain

It can occur for reasons such as low light or staring at the computer screen for a long time.

Usually, this fatigue can be relieved as a result of rest.

Fear of light is not a well-known type of phobia.

Although it is not known, it is true that there is such a phobia.

For example, cosmetics stores and jewelers use more light to make the product they sell more attractive. People with photophobia become very restless in such environments.

Photophobic people often experience eye burns because their eyes are too sensitive.

Allergic Factors That Cause Eye Burning

Pollens, Mold fungi, Animal dander, Perfumes, Colognes are allergens that cause eye burns.

The most common factor in burning eyes is allergies.

It is useful to look for allergic factors, especially in eye burns that recur frequently or become chronic.

Pollen is the first cause of allergic eye burns.

The most effective months of the pollen, whose effects increase seasonally, are spring months.

While some people are lucky not to be affected by allergic conditions, others are susceptible to allergic reactions.

If you don’t want the pollen to cause a burning sensation in your eyes, you should try not to be in too wooded and green areas in spring.

Mold fungus is another cause of eye burns.

It is formed by the multiplication of spores in the air, especially in humid and nutrient environments.

Mold fungi, which are formed by thousands of microscopic creatures, contribute to the natural cycle as they decompose the waste food in the environment.

Mold fungi affect asthma patients as well as cause eye burning in some.

Perfumes, deodorants and colognes that we use frequently in our daily life affect many bodies negatively and pave the way for negative effects such as coughing, itching in the throat, skin blistering, and burning eyes.

How Is The Treatment Done?

If the eye burn is caused by an environmental cause, your job is relatively easy.

Eliminating environmental factors or staying away from these environments will soon end the problem of burning sensation in the eye.

By reducing computer use, you can alleviate the problem of eye burn.

Because looking at the computer for a long time causes dry eyes, which can cause a burning sensation in the eyes.

Applying cold compresses is always an effective method in the treatment of burning sensation in the eye.

Moreover, it does not have any harm or side effects.

You can apply it anytime during the day.

You can solve the problem of burning eyes by resting your eyes with cold tea bags.

Tea bath is an effective method not only for burning sensation in the eyes, but also for eye fatigue and eye redness.

To apply the tea to your eyes, bring the brewed tea to room temperature, then massage for 5 minutes with a cotton ball (with your eyes closed).

If you have conjunctivitis, this discomfort also brings with it the problem of burning eyes.

Conjunctivitis is caused by infection and lasts up to 10 days.

During this period, try not to touch the eyes that are not sick, wash your hands frequently and do not dry your face with a towel.

Opt for disposable paper towels instead.

The solution to the problem of eye-burning caused by allergies lies in finding the source of the allergy.

If you can identify what you are allergic to, you can easily solve the problem.

For example, you can solve the problem of eye burn caused by seasonal pollen by not going to wooded areas or forests.

Or for those with pet allergies, saying goodbye to their pet makes the most sense.

Thanks to these applications, your problem of burning sensation in the eyes will disappear in a short time.

However, if your eye burning problem persists and there is a colored discharge in the eye, a doctor should be consulted and all symptoms should be explained to the doctor in detail.

If you have a cold, you can take a look at our article on how to use DayQuil.