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When you cut through an onion you break open a number of the plant cells. These cells contain enzymes, also amino acid sulphoxides. When they escape, these react and decompose to form sulphenic acid, which is a volatile gas.
The gas reaches your eyes and reacts with the water in tears producing a weak sulphuric acid, which irritates the eyes. The body's response to the irritation is to produce more tears in an attempt to dilute the irritant and wash it out of the eyes.
When this happens, the temptation is to rub your eyes, but as there is probably onion juice on your hands this only makes things worse.
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∙ 15y ago
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What do you do when your eyes sting from onions?
close them and wash them
When guine pigs are near onion the close their eyes?
Onions make guinea pigs eyes sting too, just like it makes ours. The guinea pig is simply keeping its eyes from the sting of the onion.
Why is it when you cut onions your eyes sting?
jade and lachy are the awesomest
What can burn the eyes sting the mouth yet be eaten?
onions or hot pepper
1 What can burn the eyes sting the mouth yet be eaten?
onions or hot pepper
Will a wasp sting if you walk near it?
no, it will only sting if you irritate it
Why does shampoo sting your eyes?
Shampoo stings your eyes because it has soap in it
Does wearing contacts prevent crying when cutting onions?
No. There is no research that says that cutting onions is good for your eyes. Cutting onions releases thiopropanol sulfoxide which, when it hits your eyes, creates a small amount of sulfuric acid. This is why your eyes burn and you cry when you cut onions.
Is hydrogen peroxide harmful to the eyes?
Yes, it will sting/burn your eyes and will perhaps blind you.
When peeling onions do your eyes make sulphuric acid?
Yes
Is honey bad for my eyes?
If you pour it in, it would sting a bit.
Why do onions make people cry when they cut them?
The acidic chemicals in the onion are released when slicing through its tissue, rise in the air along with heat and irritate your eyes by being absorbed through the cornea. Use a fan to blow the molecules away from your eyes to avoid irritation. Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion.
