Haemolacria - Why Is My Period Blood Brown

Haemolacria is a physical condition that causes a person to produce tears that are partially composed of blood. It can manifest as tears that are anything from merely red-tinged to appearing to be entirely made of blood.

Haemolacria is a symptom of a number of diseases, and may also be indicative of a tumor in the lacrimal apparatus. It is most often provoked by local factors such as bacterial conjunctivitis, environmental damage or injuries.

Acute haemolacria can occur in fertile women and seems to be induced by hormones, similarly to what happens in endometriosis.

Documented cases

Twinkle Dwivedi

From Lucknow, India, Dwivedi presented a rare condition that appeared to cause her to spontaneously bleed from her eyes and other parts of her body without presenting any visible wounds. Dwivedi was the subject of numerous medical research studies and TV shows including Body Shock and a National Geographic documentary.

In the absence of a medical explanation for her condition, some religious explanations have been posed. It was suggested that she could have had an unknown disease, but more skeptical views hypothesized that the case might be explained by Münchausen syndrome by proxy, where her mother, seemingly the only one to witness her bleeding actually starting, was fabricating the story and somehow inducing the effect on the girl. Sanal Edamaruku observed in 2010 that the pattern seemed to match her menstrual cycle and believed that she was faking the symptoms.

Calvino Inman

Aged 22, reported to weep tears of blood 5 times a day.

Rashida Khatoon

From India, was reportedly crying blood up to five times a day in 2009, and fainting with every weeping.

Yaritza Oliva (not officially diagnosed)

Age 21, from Chile. Was reported to have cried tears of blood several times a day in 2013.

Linnie Ikeda (not officially diagnosed)

Age 25, from Waikele, Hawai'i on the island of 'O'ahu. She was diagnosed after 2008 with Gardnerâ€"Diamond syndrome for her random bruising, but in 2010 had symptoms of the splitting of her tongue which would bleed profusely. In 2011, Ikeda has started bleeding from her eyes.

Marnie-Rae Harvey (not officially diagnosed)

Age 17, from the United Kingdom. Started in 2013 with initially coughing up blood but now persists in her tears since 2015.