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Posted By: wwh epiphora - 03/17/04 10:46 PM
In ophthalmology, epiphora means excessive secretion of tears.
I can't quite reconcile this with the meaning in poetry:
EPISTROPHE (ehp-ISS-truh-fee)
Also called epiphora, the repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases or verses, as in Lincoln's "of the people, by the people, for the people."

Posted By: Faldage Re: epiphora - 03/18/04 02:59 AM
According to Liddel and Scott, the base meaning of epiphora is 'a bringing to or upon'. One of the extended meanings is 'a sudden burst of rain, of tears'. Another extended meaning is 'an addition'. That one might be the basis for the rhetorical definition. I dunno.

Posted By: dxb Re: epiphora - 03/18/04 10:36 AM
epiphora means excessive secretion of tears

Please do you know of a treatment Dr Bill? I know someone who has this problem.

Posted By: wofahulicodoc Re: epiphora - 03/21/04 11:53 PM
I would wonder - is it truly excess secretion of tears or, rather, inability for the tears to drain into the nose, because a duct is blocked? I think it takes an ophthalmologist to diagnose and treat, if that's the condition. Don't know much more. One of my grandchildren has a blocked duct like that, and her parents haven't felt a need to have it corrected. Maybe one can outgrow it, given time. (Though it doesn't sound as though your acquaintance has quite the same condition.)

Posted By: dxb Re: epiphora - 03/22/04 01:07 PM
No, it's more a case of the eyes watering excessively under only the slightest physical stimulus - a gentle zephyr for example rather than a strong breeze. I imagine sensitivity varies and there's nothing to be done about it!

Posted By: johnjohn Re: epiphora - 05/11/04 12:24 AM
What's the opposite? I know several erstwhile contact lens wearers with this condition

jj

Posted By: wofahulicodoc Re: epiphora - 05/11/04 09:43 PM
Well, there's a disease called keratoconjunctivitis sicca, which means eyes so dry there is irritation to the cornea. And there's the "sicca syndrome," which is dryness all over - scanty tears, saliva, and other body fluids, which sometimes is part of the spectrum of collagen disease (including lupus), or Reynaud's Phenomenon, or a fancier one called Sjogren's syndrome. But dry eyes by themselves might be completely benign, whereas the others are real diseases...I'm sure the symptom has a Latin name, but (as a cardiologist) I can't help much more than that.
Posted By: of troy Re: epiphora - 05/11/04 10:05 PM
Dr bill mentioned the name of simple dry eyes once.. its a term based on xero(as in xerography) meaning dry.
xeroptothomia?
there are several thread with xero, but searching for eyes, dry and xero would lead you to the term. its in the past year, but not too recent.

Posted By: wofahulicodoc Re: epiphora - 05/14/04 01:15 AM
Ah. That would be xerophthalmia. Although that means "dry eyes" rather than a paucity of tears.

You could have wet eyes with few or many tears, depending on the drainage; I can't think of any other way to get dry eyes except inadequate tearing. [another word with one spelling, two meanings depending on pronunciation - "tairing" vs. "teering" as it were]
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