Question
A 5-year-old boy has been diagnosed with myopic amblyopia with strabismus, and his parents are worried about whether crying will have adverse effects on his eyes.
Answer
When people cry, the tears contain lysozyme, which can clear most bacteria and help clean the tear ducts, keeping the eyes moist. However, children often wipe their tears with their hands when crying, which may lead to bacterial growth. While occasional crying can have a cleaning effect on the eyes, prolonged crying may harm a child’s eyes. Therefore, it is recommended that parents comfort their children when they cry and teach them to gently wipe away tears with clean tissues to reduce potential harm to the eyes.