Woman's period leaves her bleeding from both eyes

Chandigarh, India - Bleeding from the uterus during menstruation is completely natural, but there are women who have blood coming out of their eyes. A 25-year-old woman in India suffers from the rare phenomenon.

Hemolacia means "bloody tears" and involves blood leaking from one or both eyes (stock image).
Hemolacia means "bloody tears" and involves blood leaking from one or both eyes (stock image).  © 123rf.com/chepko

Incidentally, James Bond villain Le Chiffre was also plagued by the same disease. In Casino Royale, he cried blood from a damaged vessel in his left eye.

When a young housewife approached the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh about her stressful condition, doctors diagnosed her with hemolacria.

This rare condition causes various amounts of blood to be found in tears.

Body artist shocks with "crying blood" face tattoo
Tattoos Body artist shocks with "crying blood" face tattoo

Depending on the concentration, it can look like someone is crying blood, but the amount can also be so tiny that it can only be detected under a microscope.

Studies have shown that due to hormones, fertile women are more likely to have this condition. However, the exact cause is not yet conclusive. Doctors suspect that menstruation could play a role if women show traces of blood in their tears during this time.

This was exactly what was going on with the young Indian woman. During her period, she experienced blood leaking from her tear ducts in both of her eyes.

Therapy with birth control pills

The patient was treated with birth control pills for three months, after which the blood flow in her tears stopped (stock image).
The patient was treated with birth control pills for three months, after which the blood flow in her tears stopped (stock image).  © 123rf.com/filmfoto

"Blood coming out with tears is a very alarming situation for both the patient and the doctor. If you see blood coming out of the eyes, you can imagine how scary it is," the Mirror quoted Dr. Soumitra Ghosh, the physician who documented the 25-year-old's case in a study.

"Hemolacria is a rare clinical condition. It has several causes. One is called vicarious menstruation," Dr. Ghosh said, in which cyclic bleeding escapes from other organs, such as the nose, eyes, ears, or nipples.

Hemolacria is "very, very rare, with only a few cases reported in the medical literature so far," Ghosh explained, adding that if the blood leaks from the eye tissues, "It is considered to be a response of the eyes' blood vessels to hormones."

Doctors prescribed birth control pills for the woman, and after three months of treatment, the bloody tears stopped.

Cover photo: 123rf.com/chepko

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