How to Stop Watery Eyes: Effective Solutions Based on Research
By Dr. Shubham Pandey +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shubham Pandey
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024Click to rate this article!
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By Dr. Shubham Pandey +2 more
Medically reviewed by Dr. Shubham Pandey
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024Table of Contents
Eyes watering nonstop is a condition known as epiphora or watery eyes. It’s a common problem for people of any age. Finding the right solution is key for your eye health and overall life quality.
In this article, we will discuss about watery eyes. We’ll go over what they are, their symptoms, what can cause them, and how we can handle them.
Watery eyes, or epiphora, is when tears keep flowing from the eye. Tears are important for keeping our eyes healthy and moist. They’re made by our lacrimal glands. But if these glands make too much tears or if the tear drain system gets blocked, it can lead to watery eyes.
Here are some normal signs and symptoms of watery eyes:
Did you know?
A big reason for watery eyes is blocked tear ducts. The tear ducts take tears away from the eyes. When these ducts get blocked or narrow, they can’t drain tears well. This leads to a build-up and watery eyes. The blockages could be there since birth, or develop in time because of infection, scarring, or aging.
It may sound odd, but dry eyes can make your eyes water a lot. If your eyes don’t have enough wetness, it can lead your body to make more tears. This starts a cycle of dryness and lots of tears. Dry eyes can come from many things, like certain drugs, environmental conditions, and health problems.
Reflex tearing is how the body reacts to things like irritation, foreign objects, or strong feelings. In response to these things, the eyes may make more tears than normal, and this makes the eyes water. Most reflex tearing goes away when the cause is gone or dealt with.
On rare occasions, watery eyes might be due to an overproduction of tears. This could occur if some nerves involved in making tears are not working properly or if the tear glands become too active. Conditions such as Bell’s palsy or facial nerve dysfunction can contribute to too much tears being produced.
An imbalance in the makeup of tears can also make the eyes water. If the tears do not have the right mix of water, salt, and oils, they may not wet the eye well. This can lead to dryness and irritation, which may cause too much tears to be made.
Facial nerves are important for controlling tear production. When facial nerves become damaged or injured, it can affect our ability to make or regulate tears, leading to watery eyes. Conditions such as Bell’s palsy, infections, or other types of facial nerve dysfunction can make eyes water.
Some other less common reasons for watery eyes include:
If you deal with watery eyes all the time, or if you feel any of the following, go see a healthcare provider or eye doctor.
To find out why your eyes are watery, your healthcare provider may do some tests. These tests include:
This test measures how stable the tear film covering your eye is. If tears go away or “break up” too soon, it can end up irritating the cornea and cause other problems. This test can find conditions like dry eye syndrome, mucin deficiency, or Meibomian gland disease.
In this test, the healthcare provider puts a safe dye into the corner of your eye. After five minutes, the dye should clear from the eye. If the dye remains, it may show a blockage in the tear ducts.
In this test, a small syringe tip is gently put into the corner of the eye. The healthcare provider then flushes saline or water into the syringe to check if the fluid flows well through the tear drain system. If not, it could mean there is a blockage or obstruction in the system.
The management method for watery eyes depends on what is causing it. Some general options are as follows.
If your watery eyes come from blocked tear ducts, your healthcare provider may try to clear the blockage by putting a small tool through the punctum or suggest surgery if necessary.
For dry eyes, your doctor may prescribe drops that act like tears, prescription drugs, or suggest lifestyle changes to help make more tears and avoid moisture from going away.
To fix an imbalance in tear makeup, the doctor might use special eye drops or therapies aimed at making your tears better quality.
If facial nerve problems are causing watery eyes, your healthcare provider will work on handling that problem and may suggest options to help with watery eyes.
Along with management methods, some home tricks may help relieve watery eyes. These include the following.
In plenty of cases, watery eyes can be well handled with the right management option. Prognosis and results depend on the cause and how bad the problem is, as well as how well the person reacts to the chosen options. It’s vital to deal with the root causes of watery eyes and work closely with a healthcare provider to plan a tailored management plan.
It’s key to know what can cause and manage watery eyes to protect your eye health and overall well-being. By finding out what’s making your eyes water and working closely with a health professional, you can lay out an effective management route that fits your special needs. Don’t let watery eyes get you down; take charge of your eye health now.
An excess of tears can stem from many things, including blocked tear ducts, dry eyes, allergies, facial nerve issues, or an imbalance in tear composition. To pick the right management option, you need to find out why your eyes are watering.
The best remedy depends on why your eyes are watering. It’s best to consult a healthcare provider. They can work out why they’re watering and suggest a fitting management plan.
Using a phone or other devices for a long time can tire the eyes, causing dry eyes and reflex tearing. To lessen eye strain, take regular breaks from screens, tune your device settings, and remember the 20-20-20 rule which is, every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
You should call a doctor if you deal with watery eyes along with lower vision, eye pain, a strange feeling in the eyes, or if the signs don’t go away or get worse over time. A healthcare provider can check your condition and suggest an appropriate management path.
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