Excessive tearing from only one eye can be alarming. But what does it mean when your left eye waters constantly? This mysterious phenomenon has intrigued cultures worldwide, with various superstitions and spiritual meanings attached to the left eye’s tears.
While art and mythology depict a weeping left eye as symbolic, there are also medical reasons behind monocular lacrimation. Learning what causes asymmetrical tear production can help you determine if it’s a temporary annoyance or symptomatic of underlying illness.
Cultural and Spiritual Meanings of Left Eye Tears
Across religions and folklore worldwide, a weeping left eye carries spiritual symbolism. In many faiths and myths, the left side of the body is linked with feminine energy while the right signifies masculine energy. The left eye, in particular, is associated with the moon’s intuition, emotion, and inner wisdom.
Chinese and Asian Traditions
In Chinese culture, left eye twitching signifies good fortune or a surprise Auspicious event coming your way. But constant watering or crying from the left eye holds a different meaning – it implies that a close family member or loved one may fall sick.
Similarly, the Hawaiian kahunas consider left eye tears to be a warning sign of impending tragedy related to a family member. It could signify that a relative or dear friend needs your thoughts and prayers to overcome hardship.
In contrast, Japanese superstitions take left eye crying as a positive omen. They believe it shows you will soon experience great joy and laughs. Perhaps you may hear amusing news or witness something hilarious that will make you weep tears of mirth!
Indian Mythology and Literature
The left eye holds special meaning in Hinduism as the eye of Lord Shiva’s wife, Goddess Parvati. Legends say that when the Goddess witnesses injustice, pain, or sacrifices made by devotees, her left eye wells up with empathy. Thus, a teary left eye represents divine grace or blessing in response to one’s grief.
The ancient Sanskrit text Nilamata Purana goes further to proclaim that the left eye’s flowing tears predict prosperity and wealth soon entering your life. But you must use these boons righteously, or the fortune can turn into misfortune.
Western Perspectives
In Greek myth, the left side corresponded with logic and wisdom. Consequently, left eye tears signify releasing suppressed grief or resolving an emotional conflict through internal wisdom. It may indicate reaching an epiphany that allows you to make peace with the past.
Some modern psychic readings also associate the left eye with the future. Left eye crying supposedly implies good news ahead that will move you emotionally, whether a pregnancy, marriage, or fortunate opportunity coming your way.
Common Superstitions About Left Eye Tearing Up
Alongside cultural mythologies, various superstitions give special meaning to left eye tears. These range from omens of misfortune to signs of psychic power or magical witchcraft.
Omens of Bad Luck or Evil
In old European folklore, a persistently watery left eye was an omen of troubles ahead. It could portend falling victim to the “evil eye curse” out of envy or jealousy from onlookers. Constant tearing of the left eye may also signify that misfortunes related to one’s sins or moral wrongdoings will soon materialize.
Some traditions even consider the left teary eye a mark of the devil. After all, the left side traces associations with darkness, femininity, and mysticism – attributes that leaned taboo in medieval times. As a result, persistent left eye discharge or redness would arouse suspicion of being a witch or harboring an unholy presence inside one’s soul.
Signs of Psychic Awakening
Conversely, certain modern psychic theories say left eye tearing signals the awakening of one’s hidden metaphysical gifts. The tears correspond to the left hemisphere and limbic system’s activation through divine energy.
As your psychic senses strengthen, the left eye releases long-held traumas, grief, and stresses now surfacing to conscious awareness. The resulting emotional discharge manifests as inexplicable watering of the left eye.
Therefore, if your left eye mysteriously weeps often, certain psychic readings would interpret it as the awakening of your innate psychic healing and intuitive abilities. You may find yourself more attuned to clairsentience, spiritual signs and omens, or the emotions of loved ones.
Medical Reasons for Left Eye Lacrimation
Before declaring spiritual meanings behind left eye tearing, consider plausible medical explanations. Many factors can stimulate excess lacrimation or discharge from only one eye.
Underlying Eye Conditions
Ocular surface disorders often manifest as asymmetric tearing before other symptoms appear. In particular, keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS or dry eye disease) frequently causes monocular tearing as the lacrimal glands struggle to lubricate an insufficiency of natural tears coating one eye.
Additionally, conditions causing ocular irritation in one eye, like trichiasis (ingrown eyelashes), conjunctivitis, or recurrent corneal erosion can instigate monocular tearing. Pink eye (conjunctivival inflammation) related to bacteria, viruses, or allergens also typically impacts one eye initially before spreading.
Injury, Foreign Bodies, or Blocked Tear Ducts
Likewise, irritation from a superficial scratch on the cornea or a foreign particle trapped under one eyelid can stimulate monocular reflex tearing. Sometimes, a clogged tear drainage passageway also backs up tears in one eye.
If you cannot find relief from eyedrops or flushing, consider seeing an optometrist or ophthalmologist to irrigate the tear duct passage and exclude injuries causing corneal surface inflammation.
Dacryocystitis (Tear Sac Infection)
Additionally, an internal hordeolum or infection of the lacrimal sac, called dacryocystitis, provokes irrepressible overflow tearing from one eye. The inflamed tear sac near the inner corner becomes tender and swollen. Pain, redness, and release of pus often accompany the watery discharge as infectious bacteria multiply.
Usually, antibiotic eyedrops or ointment to treat the surface infection provides temporary relief. But the source inside the block tear duct requires medication via IV or lacrimal syringing to fully cure the dacryocystitis.
Neurological Triggers
Finally, diseases affecting nerves linked to lacrimal gland function can spark excessive one-sided tearing called epiphora. Trigeminal nerve inflammation from shingles, tumors, or aneurysms may impede normal tear drainage. Various neurologic conditions also overstimulate tear production reflexes.
For instance, famous instances of unexplained unilateral tearing involve Parkinson’s disease patients due to seborrheic inflammation of facial nerves. Partial seizures in the autonomic nervous system or strokes on one side of the brain also can randomly activate the lacrimal gland.
When to See a Doctor for Monocular Tearing
Occasionally experiencing isolated tears from one eye without other symptoms is usually normal. But if frequent or constant unilateral tearing disrupt vision or daily life, seek medical advice to pinpoint the exact cause.
See an optometrist promptly if accompanied by eye pain, light sensitivity, redness, eyelid swelling, headache or rainbow halos around lights. Blurry vision, dizziness or nausea along with one-sided tearing may indicate acute angle closure glaucoma.
Moreover, rule out underlying illness if watery left eye persists over two weeks despite self-treatment or emerges with other neurologic symptoms like one-sided numbness or weakness in limbs. Unchecked, excess tearing can lead to skin irritation, tear duct infection (dacryocystitis) or eye inflammation problems.
When to Seek Emergency Care
However, seek prompt emergency care if accompanied by:
- Sudden loss of vision
- Eye trauma or pain from foreign body entry
- Waking up with one eye glued shut by discharge
- Intense headache with photophobia
- Voluntary and involuntary eye movement problems
- Swelling or bruising around the eye
Rapid specialized intervention can help mitigate permanent eye damage from emergent cases of acute glaucoma, orbital cellulitis, corneal ulcer, or retinal detachment.
Treatments and Remedies for a Weeping Left Eye
Artificial Tears and Warm Compresses
Mild cases of tearing originating from dry eyes or blocked tear ducts benefit from over-the-counter artificial tear eyedrops to provide relief and lubrication. Place the drops inside the tear duct near the nasal corner 2-4 times daily.
Also hold warm, wet compresses over the closed eyelid for five minutes twice daily. The heat helps stimulate drainage and clear blockages in the lacrimal ducts to prevent overflow.
Antibiotic and Anti-inflammatory Eye Medications
Bacterial or viral conjunctivitis requires prescription antibiotic eye drops to resolve contagious pinkeye discharge and inflammation. Allergic conjunctivitis benefits from antihistamine eyedrops. Also utilize cool compresses here to calm itchiness.
For chronic dacryocystitis with recurrent infection and pus, take oral antibiotics to penetrate infected tissues lining the internal blocked tear sac. Associated nasal inflammation may also need topical steroid nasal sprays.
Surgery for Blocked Tear Ducts
If warm compresses, lacrimal sac massage and medications fail chronic epiphora, surgically probing and irrigating the clogged nasolacrimal drainage apparatus can provide permanent relief. Alternatively, dacryocystorhinostomy surgery creates an alternative route for tear drainage.
As a last resort, plugging the dysfunctional tear duct also alleviates fluid backing up behind the blockage. Similarly, for tear overproduction disorders, surgical tarsorrhaphy partially sews the eyelids together to narrow the opening, reducing surface exposure.
Treating Underlying Neurologic or Systemic Disease
When unilateral tearing results from neurologic pathology or systemic conditions like thyroid dysregulation, addressing the root disorder helps resolve associated epiphora symptoms.
In Parkinson’s disease, prescription eye ointments provide temporary reprieve from tear duct irritation caused by facial neuropathy. But addressing brain chemical dysfunction with dopaminergic therapy more directly halts nerve-related tear overproduction.
Likewise, regulating thyroid hormones returns lacrimal function to equilibrium when hyperthyroid conditions overstimulate tear production. Eyedrops only provide patchwork symptom relief until curing the glandular hormonal excess.
A persistently weeping left eye may seem innocuous on the surface. But it can significantly impact vision and quality of life over time if left unchecked. And it occasionally signals an impending crisis like acute glaucoma or infection warranting urgent care.
Most importantly, unilateral tearing acts as a clue that something is amiss internally – whether illness brewing or psychic senses awakening. Paying attention and discovering the root cause behind its mysterious appearance allows you to harness any spiritual messages or treat medical conditions promptly before they worsen.
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