Man with 'crocodile tears' syndrome cries every time he eats

A Chinese man was recently diagnosed with 'crocodile tear syndrome', a rare medical condition that makes him cry every time he eats.

Crying is usually triggered by a strong emotional response, such as sadness, pain, or uncontrollable laughter, but in rare cases it can be triggered by something as benign as dining, according to Oddity Central.

Last year, an elderly man surnamed Zhang started to cry while eating. He didn't think much of it at first, but the crying became significantly worse as he needed to chew longer, and this greatly interfered with his activities. For example, his illness made Mr. Zhang often avoid eating in public, for fear of tears rolling down his face in front of everyone, causing misunderstandings.

Last month, Mr. Zhang went to a hospital in Wuhan for a check-up and was diagnosed with a rare condition commonly known as 'crocodile tear syndrome'. Dr. Cheng Mian Chinh, head of the hospital's ophthalmology department, explained that the condition was closely related to the man's previous facial paralysis.

The process of recovering from facial paralysis has affected the activity of the lacrimal gland, especially the lacrimal gland in the left eye. During his recovery, the nerve fibers in his face became misdirected, and the result of this misalignment was that stimuli such as the smell or taste of food, instead of causing salivation, stimulated the lacrimal gland. secrete tears.

The symptoms of crocodile tear syndrome vary from patient to patient. Milder cases are often supported by counseling and regular follow-up. While cases are more severe, the most common treatment is an injection of botulinum into the lacrimal gland, to block conduction along nerve fibers that give incorrect instructions to the affected gland. The effect of the active substance lasts about 6 months.

Surgical intervention is also an option, and that was the choice in Mr. Zhang's case. His condition has improved significantly, but it is unclear if the effect is permanent.