I have a very odd problem that may be something totally unique. (I've never heard of anyone having this problem, and when I tried Googling it, nothing came up.) When I cry (and I can finally get some tears to show up), they burn my eyes and I get a smell like ammonia with them.
Has anyone heard of anything like this?
Hello
My eyes burn also. It almost feels like sweat I feel like I have been outside and the Sweat is just running down into my eyes and they burn. Its weird. I have had all four of my tear ducks cauterized.
Theresa
Hi Shashi,
I too get the burning eyes when I cry so I try to never shed a tear...too painful (the opthamologist isn't a big help so I have no answers I'm afraid). I don't get the ammonia smell, but it would have to be a powerful scent or something I'm hyper sensitive to to pick it up anymore (it's weird, but when I do come across a certain smell, it's as though someone hit the sinuses with a stick).
Have you spoken to your doctor about the stinging eyes/smell that you're getting? If you do, please update us as I'm so curious as to why you'd smell ammonia.
Take care of yourself -
Patze
Back in the days when I use eye drops, when my eyes were very dry, and I put a drop in them, they burn for a few seconds, then go away. I suppose since the cornea membranes are so dry, a sudden change would cause them to react - causing this stinging feeling. No ammonia smell though. Ammonia is a component of urine- wonder what is going on!
Since I don't use eye drops anymore, when the natural tears do flow, my eyes do not sting anymore. Tear flow is pretty even throughout the day. When they feels dry , I just take a few more capsules
Pegasus
My tears burn, too. (But I don't have any amonia smell with this). xx
I can see the tears stinging either from your dry eyes receiving the moisture they're not used to as Pegasus said or because your tears are lacking moisture so the salt content is higher than normal and it is the salt stinging your eyes, but I don't know what would cause the ammonia smell.
Shashi11962
I just noticed that my tears (maybe the mucus also?) smell like ammonia, I found that when actually crying, I googled it and found only your post. I already knew that my urine smells highly like ammonia, and that is well documented. I wonder if you also experience that condition. And are you on meds? Because Im on several meds and Ive been told that they caused the ammonia in the urine, so possibly the smell in the tears too. But I wonder if its something dangerous. I will post back as soon as I know.
Good luck
-j
Ah ha! as my 3 year old would say. Tears contain urea which is the same ammonia producing component of urine. As Madderakka mentioned, it is probably to due to higher concentration levels and the fact tears run into nasal passages that you can smell it.
www.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears
Crymeariver: Thank you very much. Now I know the smell was true. Next thing I will do is probably a kidney or hepatic analysis.