Your tears themselves are actually at your body's temperature—around 98.6°F (37°C). The sensation of hot tears is usually due to other factors interacting with your skin and tear ducts, rather than the tears being inherently hot.
Factors Affecting the Sensation of "Hot" Tears:
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Skin Temperature: If your skin is cold, the relatively warmer tears will feel hot as they come into contact. Conversely, if your skin is hot, they might feel cooler. This is supported by multiple Quora threads discussing this phenomenon. https://www.quora.com/Why-are-happy-tears-cold-and-tears-of-sadness-warm https://www.quora.com/Are-tears-of-joy-cold-and-tears-of-anger-hot A Reddit thread similarly notes this effect of air movement on the perception of temperature. https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/brhygb/eli5_why_do_tears_sometimes_come_out_cold_or_hot/
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Underlying Eye Conditions: Irritation from conditions like dry eye or blepharitis can cause a burning sensation, which might be perceived as heat. Environmental irritants like smoke can exacerbate this. Source: Cleveland Clinic article on burning eyes
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Tear Composition and Interaction with Eyes: The chemical composition of tears can sometimes cause irritation, leading to a burning or hot feeling. This interaction is specific to the individual and their tear film.
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Inflammation: Inflammation of the tear ducts or surrounding areas can create a sensation of heat.
It is crucial to note that the tears themselves are not hot; the feeling of heat is a result of how the tears interact with the surrounding environment and your body's physiological state.
