Why does this man from Lanao del Norte cry tears of blood when he's broken-hearted?

When 33-year-old Joemar from Lanao del Norte is heart-broken or angry, he cries tears tinged with blood.

"Sa isang buwan halos pito o walo. Minsan nagkataon na broken ako, naga-away kami ng misis ko, ano na tumatagas!" he said, during an interview with the Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) team.

 

["It happens seven to eight times a month. Sometimes it gets worse when I'm heartbroken or when I’ve had an argument with my wife."]

His wife, mother, neighbors, and friends have all noticed this, and they were deeply concerned about Joemar's condition.

"Kasi kapag naga-away kami, ina-atake siya. Habang tumatagal nalalaman ko na ganoon. Tuwing nagagalit siya, ina-atake siya. Kaya iniiwasan namin na magalit siya," his wife Margie said.

["Whenever we would fight, he’d cry tears of blood. It gets worse when he’s angry. So we try to avoid that as much as possible."]

He wasn't like this before. This only started after he got married to Margie. Whenever he cried, crimson-colored tears would come out of his eyes. His tears could fill up an entire glass.

There was a time when Joemar fainted in the hospital and cried tears of blood while he was unconscious.

"Yung na-ospital nga ako dati, hinimatay na rin ako, tumagas sa akin ‘yung dugo na mahigit limang bag. Nu’ng pag-BP nila sa akin, normal!" he exclaimed.

["I fainted while I was in the hospital. That time, while I was unconscious, blood gushed out of my eyes and filled five bags! When they checked my blood pressure, it was normal!"]

It was difficult for Thelma, Joemar’s mother, to see him in that kind of condition.

While the KMJS team was interviewing Thelma, her son started crying tears of blood. The tears covered his face, and he could not open his left eye anymore.

He was also seen spitting blood.

In the KMJS episode, Joemar complained of the pain he would experience whenever he cried.

According to him, blood would also come out of his ears, nose, mouth, back and hands.

Joemar and his family went to several doctors, but they could not determine his condition. They even visited a faith healer (albularyo) who said that a mythical spirit was behind this strange condition.

Joemar believed in it. Because, whenever he would cry tears of blood, he would hear a voice saying things he could not comprehend.

The KMJS team brought samples of his tears to a chemist to find out whether or not they were actual blood. The catalase test revealed that they were, indeed, blood.

The team also went to an ophthalmologist to find out the truth about Joemar's condition.

 

According to ophthalmologist Dr. Jhong Tamporong, Joemar had haemolacria, a condition that causes a person to produce tears that are partially composed of blood. But he needs to undergo further tests to find out the cause of his condition.

Dr. Jhong Tamporong clarified that Joemar's condition had nothing to do with mythical spirits.

Although his condition will be difficult to treat, Joemar said that he would do everything to solve this problem. His wife also vowed to support him all the way.

For those who want to help Joemar, please deposit to:

Philippine National Bank Iligan City Lanao del Norte
ACCOUNT NAME: Amaliana Siao Ramos
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 41070002519

— Angelica Y. Yang/LA, GMA News