Dry eyes but I can still cry???

[MissSnoozer]

Hi all,

Don't have an official diagnosis for Sjogren's yet, but I'm thinking my doctor is going to say I have it. My question is this - I had an eye exam yesterday and he said I have irritation on the eyelid and dry eyes in both. The eye doctor didn't know much about Sjogren's but if you have dry eyes, how are you able to cry? There's a certain song on a CD I have, that whenever I play it I cry. Just wondered what all of the terms mean. Thanks a bunch!

[Gayle]

Hi There

I have dry eyes, very dry yet I can sometimes cry. Doing so however seems to make them hurt more.. I don't know. Everyone is so different. I also think that you may not be producing the right type of fluid for the eyes too.

Good luck with finding out what is going on.

[gurs]

I have super dry eyes, but always able to cry.  Some  theories are that sjogrens tear glands are destroyed etc, but I think its all neurological or inflammatory..they arent destroyed, they just dont work right like the rest of my organs-glands, like my motility in my stomach, etc.
When I started plaquenil years ago, i noticed in immediate improvement in my tear production, so, my ducts were not destroyed.

Sometimes, feels good to cry, which I often do, just to get some moisture..haha

Gursie

[iraisin]

I'm still able to cry too. Some folks here aren't able to though. Not all of our symptoms and intensity of those symptoms are the same.

You will vary a bit from everyone on this site - no two of us are alike.

We are like snowflakes 

[Diane54]

I was told it wasn't the quantity of tears it's the quality. I think I lack the "oil" produced in tears if that sounds about right....at least that's what I was told.

[bubbles328]

same as Diane, i was told it was quality vs quantity.  i can cry (a lot!) and my eyes will water sometimes--but they are very dry because all i produce is saline water without the protective 'oil'.
of course i do not have a definitive diagnosis, only a positive ANA and a dry-everything. 

[MissSnoozer]

That is so interesting. Thank you all for responding. I had no idea about the oil in our eyes. Really fascinating. So do your tears feel different when the eyes are no longer dry?

[Annar16]

Hi Miss Snoozer, It's true that just because your eyes are dry- doesn't mean you can no longer cry. In fact, you may even notice that your eyes frequently "water" or tear down your cheeks. However, this "water" you're experiencing is just that--water. Also known as "reflex tears", they are designed to flush the eyes of irritants. How ever, they have no value to the eyes in the sense that they do not have protective oils. I read this article recently on the topic. Get some more insight there, and keep me posted as to how your eyes progress! Good luck.
-A

[gem.j]

Does anyones dry eye really hurt? My right eye hurts so much right now.

[Tivia]

I have zero tear production in both eyes, but I can cry it just hurts like heck to do it. The only reason I know is because I lost my dog and have another one that end stage chf and I was so distraught I cried. My eyes didnt cry like normal through...it was a deep emotinal welling up and while I was producing tears they were not leaving my eyes much and running down my cheeks. More like my eyes filled and evaporated, and it hurt my eyes burned and swelled extreme redness.

So yes some can cry its just not normal tears because they are lacking certain tear components and it hurts

[Dolly Dimples]

Gem J  My right eye is quite painful, or rather more irritated so much sooner than my right eye.  I put more drops in the sore eye .
  but I do have a cataract in the left eye , maybe that is the cause of irritation sooner in that eye than the other.

     This SS is an insidious complaint , one never knows just how or what will cause how much pain , irritation, fatigue or whatever!   No two of us are eactly the same!   Dolly x

[jazzlover]

I am like the others said, I can cry .. and when I do, my eyes hurt even more.

[Ark mom]

Earlier in the year, during my bad flare, I had trouble crying, but now after restasis and prednisone, I can cry easily.  Usually, after my cry I do experience some degree of pain and burning, sometimes mild, sometimes quite awful. 

[gurs]

I notice when I do cry, does irritate my eyes and especially my sinuses? horrible headache then as well..

Gursie

[maiestro]

I can't cry.  I don't think I have since I was about 12 years old - If I'm lucky I'll get one or two tears...  otherwise just very red sore eyes!