Can Cancer Cause One Eye to Keep Tearing?
Yes, cancer can actually cause one eye to begin tearing, a condition called unilateral (one-sided) epiphora.
There are far more common causes of this situation – but tumors are not excluded from possible causes of one eye mysteriously getting very watery.
“The lacrimal glands are the glands that produce tears to lubricate your eyes,” begins Gene Liu, MD, MMM, and Chief, Division of Otolaryngology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Group.
“As you blink, the tears are spread across the eyeball itself and then drain through small pipes called the nasolacrimal ducts, or tear ducts, into the nose,” explains Dr. Liu.
“Epiphora is the medical term for a watery eye and can happen with irritation of the eye, a problem with eyelid position or tone, or something that is causing an issue along the drainage pathway.”
An obstruction in the drainage pathway, caused by a cancerous or benign tumor, will result in a buildup of tears.
The eye will then water up, sometimes to the extent that full tears are dripping down one’s face.
The unilateral epiphora can be caused by a benign lacrimal sac tumor or a malignant mass.
Lacrimal Gland Tumors
• 72 percent are cancer and 28 percent are benign, according to reviewofoptometry.com, but only 50 percent are cancer, according to reference.medscape.com.
• Cancer must be ruled out when a patient presents with one eye that keeps tearing– especially if there are other symptoms.
• “The likelihood that epiphora is caused by a cancer of any part of the nasolacrimal system or sinuses is extremely low,” says Dr. Liu.
“These types of problems are not only very rare, but usually also would cause a lot of other symptoms.”
How rare are these malignant masses?
A report in Smith and Nesi’s Ophthalmic and Plastic Reconstructive Surgery (2012) says, “Approximately 750 cases [of malignant AND benign lacrimal sac tumors] have been reported in the literature over the last century, of which 50 to 100 percent were malignant.”
A report in a 2013 Ophthalmic Plastic Reconstructive Surgery (a different journal than above) states, “Lacrimal sac tumors are rare with approximately 300 cases described in the literature.”
A report in the online journal Cancer (2011) states, “Forty-six patients with malignant epithelial neoplasms of the lacrimal apparatus were treated at a single institution from 1945 through 2008.”
And finally: “Whereas there are a myriad of small case series and reports, fewer than 250 cases have been reported in the international literature and population data are scarce.” (JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, 2014)
So based on the above excerpts, you should be very reassured that the odds that your unilateral epiphora being caused by cancer are exceptionally unlikely.
Furthermore, the most common age for diagnosis is in the 30s, and the second most common age is in the teens.
If you’re in your 30s, don’t panic. Reread the above data to absorb just how incredibly rare this cancer is.
Symptoms of Lacrimal Gland Tumor Other than Epiphora
• Double or blurry vision
• Pain in or near eye
• Eyelid fullness or lump in eyelid
• Swelling around the eye
To be fair, a brief coverage of another type of cancer that can cause one eye to tear needs to be made.
A tumor can form in the naso-pharyngeal cavity. These are called paranasal or sinus tumors.
According to hopkinsmedicine.org, some possible causes are:
• Exposure to industrial chemicals
• HPV infection
• Exposure to leather, wood, nickel, textile, chromium or flour dust
• Cigarette smoking
• Not all paranasal tumors have known causes.
Cancer.org says that about 2,000 U.S. people a year are diagnosed with a paranasal tumor. Eighty percent of patients are at least 55 and most are men.
Symptoms of a Paranasal Tumor Other than Epiphora
• Bulging eye
• Vision problems
• Persistent sinus congestion
• Nasal drip
• Frequent nosebleeds
• Change in voice
• Reduced sense of smell
• Headache
• Facial numbness
• Loose teeth
• Trouble opening mouth
Benign Causes of One Eye Tearing
“A gradual onset of epiphora with no other symptoms or findings is almost always due to narrowing or scarring of the nasolacrimal duct,” says Dr. Liu.
“This can happen with the development of casts or stones [hardened debris inside the drainage system], from inflammation of the nose and sinuses [infection], from trauma, as a result of inflammatory disease such as sarcoidosis, and many other obscure medical reasons.”
– Canalicular obstruction (caused by debris from lids, lashes, makeup, conjunctivitis, age related constriction). The canaliculum is part of the drainage system.
– Canaliculitis (inflammation of canaliculum)
– Cysts
– Dacryocystitis (lacrimal sac infection)
– Dacryocystocele (lacrimal sac enlargement due to congenital problem)
– Facial (blackhead extractions on the nose)
– Lacrimal diverticulum (herniation)
– Laceration (tiny cut)
A condition called recurrent corneal erosion can also cause only one eye to water up too much.
Corneal irritation (from past trauma such as walking into a protruding tree branch or a fingernail contacting the cornea) triggers hyperlacrimation. This condition can develop months or years after the trauma.
Parting Thoughts
• If one eye gradually or suddenly begins tearing (unilateral epiphora), chances are extremely unlikely that the cause is cancer.
• Don’t panic. See if it runs its course and tapers off after a week or so.
• Be on the ball for other new-onset symptoms that seem associated.
Dr. Liu’s clinical areas of focus cover a broad range including surgery of the head and neck, sinuses and thyroid, and disorders of the ears, salivary glands and vocal cords.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik.com
Sources:
reviewofoptometry.com/ce/disorders-of-the-nasolacrimal-system
reference.medscape.com/article/1210619-overview
reference.medscape.com/article/1210619-overview#a6
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4614-0971-7_40#page-1
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4081470/
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.25813/pdf
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/1935579
cancer.org/cancer/nasal-cavity-and-paranasal-sinus-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/adult/nervous_system_disorders/paranasal_sinus_tumors_134,87/
How Dangerous Is Feeling a Pulse in Your Stomach?
If you can feel a pulse in your stomach, this can mean a life-threatening condition involving a major blood vessel that runs down your abdomen or a cancerous tumor. (more…)
You Know It’s Time to Start Strength Training When …
Have you been toying around with the idea of starting a strength training regimen but keep putting it off, waiting for the “perfect” time?
Well, there really isn’t a perfect time to begin training with weights, but you certainly know you’re READY to start lifting weights for fitness when certain things are happening with you — whether you’re a woman or a man.
It’s Time to Start Strength Training When …
• Every time you look in the mirror at your arms, you grimace or shake your head.
• You have a habit of grabbing the flappy part of your upper arm and staring at it in disdain.
• You sometimes find yourself deliberately making your “bat wings” jiggle by patting them with your fingers.
• You do the same thing with your inner thighs.
• Every time you see a woman with a super toned body, you think, “Why can’t I look like that?”
This is not a body of malnourishment. It’s a body of strength training and food portion control. Those are strong arms, not weak arms! Shutterstock/Jacob Lund
• You’re sick and tired of asking men – and even women – to carry heavy things for you — definitely a clue it’s time to start hitting the weights!
• You can’t pick up your 125 pound wife or girlfriend.
• You dread carrying your preschooler or toddler around, especially when it’s time to set them in the car seat.
• You let garbage pile up for someone stronger to take out.
• You avoid doing tasks that involve lifting something weighty like removing a box of books from a high shelf.
• Your jeans no longer fit but you haven’t gained weight on the scale.
• You’ve heard at least one person call you “skinny fat” — a clear indication it’s time to start strength training.
• You’ve gained fat despite not increasing your caloric intake.
• Your back is beginning to ache for no apparent reason.
• Your back and/or body aches after doing housework, yard work or participating in an unexpected play session with the kids.
• You dread helping a friend move despite the free pizza and beer – not because you’d rather be relaxing on your deck on a Saturday afternoon reading a book but because you know that the physical work will drain you for the next three days.
• You make your seven-year-old shovel the snow in the name of contributing to the household when you know the real reason is that it would kill your back.
• You stomach is mysteriously increasing in size even though you’ve cut back on the beer and donuts.
• Your young child lovingly says you’re “squishy.”
• You pay markedly close attention to the TV whenever a commercial comes on for a health club.
• When you find nicknames like “Beanpole,” “Skones,” “Teddy Bear” and “Chubs” no longer endearing.
• When friends suggest you enter a Mr. Puniverse contest and you know you’d win.
Oh, and one more: When people keep telling you “Eat a cheeseburger!” or “Eat a salad!”
If you’ve answered “Yes” to even one of these bullet points, you know it’s time to begin strength training!
Though there’s never a perfect time to begin lifting weights, there is always a right time to start a weightlifting program for a fitter, healthier body composition, stronger joints, a boosted immune and cardiovascular system, better balance and better brain function.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Falls in People 65+: Harbinger for Doom in the Near Future
If you know someone over 65 or are a senior yourself, here’s some frightening news: If you fall, this is a marker for bad things to come within the next six months. (more…)
Are Pull-ups Really Harder for Tall Women?
With more height comes more body weight, but this isn’t the reason why pull-ups might seem more difficult for a tall woman.
A tall woman has longer arms, and some say that this longer length creates a greater range of motion for the pull-up. (more…)
Fixed Weight Barbell vs. Olympic Barbell for Deadlifts
There are several few ways that doing deadlifts with a fixed weight barbell differs from using an Olympic bar with plates.
First off, you will note that the fixed weight or preloaded barbells are much shorter than the standard Olympic bar. (more…)
Migraine Headache Sufferer’s Advice on Daith Piercing
If you’re plagued by migraine headaches and nothing has worked, you may have considered daith piercing as yet one more treatment to try.
After all, a migraine attack can land a person in the emergency room with agonizing pain.
What is daith piercing?
This is a piercing of the ear’s innermost fold of cartilage. The word “daith” is pronounced “doth” (rhymes with “moth”).
Lisa Jacobson has experienced migraine headaches for 25+ years.
Does daith piercing actually work for suppressing migraine headaches?
How effective can something like this be?
For many, it’s “miraculous,” says Jacobson. “Unfortunately for the other half, it has not worked.”
If you want to try this approach for your stubborn migraines that do not respond to other more conventional treatments, Jacobson recommends using only a highly experienced piercer.
“Meet the person in person and question how many they’ve done,” says Jacobson. “If they ask you about it, head for the hills!”
Which ear for the piercing?
“ If you get migraines on one side, it makes sense to try that ear first for daith piercing,” says Jacobson. “If it works, you may want to consider the other ear.”
Is daith piercing painful?
“It completely varies by person (and perhaps by piercer),” says Jacobson. “Some say it is brutal and others say they didn’t even feel it.”
Healing Time
It is one to three months.
What is the price?
“Daith piercing costs about $50 for one treatment,” says Jacobson.
Does Jacobson endorse daith piercing?
“I am not a doctor, so I do not endorse anything,” she says.
“But I am here to give people access to anecdotes from people who have tried it so they can make an informed decision.”
You may also want to ask your primary care physician about daith ear piercing for migraine headaches.
Lisa Jacobson’s goal is to create a community for helping as many people as possible get rid of their chronic migraines through help, healing and humor.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/B-D-S Piotr Marcinski
Noisy Breathing: Danger Symptom or just an Annoying Habit?
Most causes of noisy breathing at rest in a seemingly normal body won’t kill you, but some are life-threatening while others will almost always be accompanied by other concerning symptoms.
Sometimes, a person’s breathing can be heard clear across a room — even though they are not “out of breath” or panting from having just run up a flight of stairs.
That person could just be sitting there reading or texting, but you can hear the breathing.
This is not normal, though this can be nothing more than an annoying habit to those nearby.
First of all, if someone is in a hospital, it won’t be surprising to easily hear each breath from across a room if they have any of the following conditions:
- Blood clot in a lung
- Bodywide infection
- Shock from blood or fluid loss
- End stage liver cirrhosis
But what about the seemingly normal man or woman who’s just sitting somewhere in public or at home and has loud and annoying breathing?
This person could also be sitting next to you on a plane, and you’re forced to hear every single breath.
“Audible breathing could mean nasal congestion (due to a cold or possibly an anatomic issue like a deviated septum),” says Susan L. Besser, MD, with Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, and Diplomate American Board of Obesity Medicine and board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.
“Also, noisy breathing could happen with an asthma exacerbation or in people with chronic lung disease or heart failure who are having difficulty breathing,” adds Dr. Besser.
“Panting or rapid breathing may not necessarily accompany people with this issue (especially if they are fatiguing and it’s getting harder to breathe).”
More Serious Causes of Noisy Breathing
• Fever from pneumonia or the flu
• Heart attack
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Severely high blood pressure in one’s lungs
• Blood entanglement in the brain
• Lung cancer
• Respiratory system obstruction
• Severe anemia (low red cell count)
• Thyroid disorder
• Obstructive sleep apnea
Less Serious Causes of Heavy or Noisy Breathing
• Fever (lower grade)
• Bronchitis
• Pregnancy
• Dehydration
• Anxiety
• Allergies
Remember, some individuals DO breathe rather loudly or noisily, simply out of habit, or because they are obese.
It’s a chronic situation with them rather than suddenly out of the blue, and tight clothes may contribute.
Since so many conditions can lead to noisy breathing, it’s important to see a doctor if you have new-onset, unexplained “heavy” breathing.
Dr. Besser provides comprehensive family care, treating common and acute primary conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Her ongoing approach allows her the opportunity to provide accurate and critical diagnoses of more complex conditions and disorders.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
What is a Safe PSA Count?
The PSA count is a widely accepted screening tool for the presence of prostate cancer.
As for what is truly a safe PSA count, here is what Michael D. Lutz, MD, explains:
“If your PSA is less than 1ng/mL, you are in great shape.
Prostate cancer is exceptionally unlikely with a PSA this low, and many organizations believe that if your PSA <1ng/mL, you can likely skip the digital rectal examination and have the blood test repeated in five years for adequate screening.”
Dr. Lutz is a board certified urologist; urologist with Corewell Health/Beaumont Hospital; President, MIU Men’s Health Foundation.
Traditionally, what’s perhaps been considered a so-called safe PSA count is 4.0 ng/mL and lower.
Levels above this amount would prompt doctors to recommend a prostate biopsy.
However, men with a PSA below 4.0 ng/mL are not immune to prostate cancer and have actually developed this disease.
Therefore, to say that a “safe” PSA level is anything below 4.0 is no longer accepted as accurate.
Of course, men with higher PSA levels may never develop prostate cancer.
The general consensus, however, is that the higher the PSA level, the more likely that prostate cancer is present.
Causes of an Elevated PSA
PSA (prostate specific antigen) level can become elevated in response to an inflamed prostate, urinary tract infection or surgery on the prostate. Some drugs can also deflate the PSA count.
Men need to be vigilant about having their PSA count taken on a regular basis.
Regular testing is especially important for men over 50 or those with a family history of prostate cancer.
Discuss with your healthcare provider to determine the appropriate frequency of PSA testing based on your individual risk factors and health history.
Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
• Weak urine stream; difficulty generating a urine stream
• Difficulty controlling urination
• Burning or pain when urinating
• Frequent feeling of urgency that’s not resolved after voiding
• Erectile dysfunction
• Painful or weak ejaculation
• Visible blood in the urine
• Visible blood in the semen
• Pain or stiffness in the pelvis, lower back, hips or thighs
Dr. Lutz is experienced in all areas of adult urology and has special interests in urological cancer, male fertility and urologic stone disease. Men’s Health Foundation
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Source: cancer.gov/types/prostate/psa-fact-sheet#q3
Causes of White Specks or Particles in Urine: See a Doctor
If you’re seeing white particles or specks in your urine, you need to see a doctor.
“Your urine is usually clear and any debris, white specks or otherwise, is not a good thing and should get checked out,” says Michael D. Lutz, MD, board certified urologist with Corewell Health/Beaumont Hospital; President, MIU Men’s Health Foundation.
Causes of White Flecks or Specks in Your Urine
“The most common cause is a urinary tract infection and easy to determine by performing a urine dipstick test or microscopic urinalysis,” says Dr. Lutz.
“The other common cause of white specks would be phosphate or other crystals in the urine which is a sign of possible kidney stone formation.”
Kidney stones are made up of minerals and salts. Thus, it’s easy to understand how some of these constituents can make it into your urine stream, appearing as tiny white particles.
Treatment for kidney stones ranges from pain medication and drinking high amounts of water to pass the stones, to surgery.
Additional Symptoms of Kidney Stones
• Severe pain in the side and back, below your ribs
• The pain may radiate to the lower abdomen and groin
• Red, brown or pink urine (from blood)
• Urine may appear cloudy, but this is due to the white specks
• Frequent urination
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fever from infection
Dr. Lutz further explains, “Lastly, in men who have developed retrograde [declining] ejaculation either from prostate surgery, medications or underlying health conditions, will notice semen mixed with the urine which will appear with white flecks.”
Additional Causes of Seeing White Things in Your Urine
• Untreated yeast infection. A yeast infection, also known as candidiasis, is an overgrowth of a type of fungus called Candida.
It typically affects warm, moist areas of the body, like the mouth, throat and genital area.
• Untreated parasitic infection. A parasitic infection occurs when parasites invade the body and cause illness.
These infections can range from mild to severe and affect various parts of the body.
• And for women — use of estrogen vaginal cream (some of the cream may disseminate, causing tiny white particles of it to come out with urine flow).
If this article provided you with helpful information or reassurance, please consider supporting my work through Ko-fi. Donations help me continue writing detailed medical content that’s easy to understand.
Dr. Lutz is experienced in all areas of adult urology and has special interests in urological cancer, male fertility and urologic stone disease. Men’s Health Foundation
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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