# Eye changing color when crying **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823 "2004-03-23T01:45:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mini-Thud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Mini-Thud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mini-Thud)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823/1 "2004-03-23T01:45:33Z")
Hey, got a pretty weird question for you guys. Here’s the deal: A girl friend of mine eyes turn green when she’s been crying, they’re brown normally. I’ve never heard of this before, anyone know anything about it? ---
**Author:** ![pokey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pokey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pokey)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823/2 "2004-03-23T02:58:18Z")
My eyes are sort of a dull green and they look bright green when I cry. I always guessed it was because of the contrast with the red since my eyes get very red when I cry. If her eyes are dark brown without a trace of green, there must be more to it than the contrast. My answer is really just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823/3 "2004-03-23T06:05:07Z")
It seems to me that when people cry their eyes look a lot brighter, I have never heard of them changing colors though and would guess that it’s not possible. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823/4 "2004-03-23T07:56:06Z")
MrSnoopy’s eyes go from regular blue to clear blue. Little Snoopy’s go from hazel/brownish to green. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823/5 "2004-03-23T08:45:51Z")
My wife’s eyes can appear to be green or brown depending on the light. Tears may change the refraction enough to create an apparent difference in color also. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823/6 "2004-03-23T16:48:18Z")
Similar thing happened to me. When I vomit my eyes water. The other day I had a hangover. After being sick I looked in the mirror and my eyes didn’t seem quite right. I went downstairs and bumped into my brother. He looked at me and said “I didn’t know your eyes were that colour.” ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eye-changing-color-when-crying/235823/7 "2004-03-23T17:01:56Z")
Mine go from dark navy blue to a clear blue-green. In my case I don’t think it’s the contrast with the red like **pokey** suggested, since when my eyes get red for other reasons (like being very tired), they’re still dark blue.