Watery eyes, also known as epiphora, is a common condition that can range from a minor annoyance to a symptom of a more significant underlying issue. While occasional tearing is a normal bodily function to keep the eyes lubricated and clear from irritants, persistent or excessive watering can be bothersome and impact your daily life. Understanding why your eyes might be constantly watering is the first step towards finding effective relief.
Common Causes of Watery Eyes Explained
Several factors can contribute to excessive tearing. It’s important to identify the potential cause to determine the best course of action. Here are some of the most frequent reasons behind watery eyes:
Environmental Irritants and Allergies
Just like your nose might run in response to irritants, your eyes can water as a protective mechanism. Common environmental triggers include:
- Cold air and wind: Exposure to cold air or wind can dry out the eyes, paradoxically leading to increased tear production as the eyes try to compensate for the dryness.
- Smoke and pollutants: Irritants like smoke, dust, and air pollution can directly irritate the eyes, causing them to water in an attempt to flush out these foreign particles.
- Allergies: Seasonal or perennial allergies to pollen, pet dander, or dust mites are major culprits. Allergic reactions trigger the release of histamine, which can lead to itchy, watery eyes, and other allergy symptoms.
Blocked Tear Ducts: Drainage Issues
Tears drain away from the eyes through small channels called tear ducts (nasolacrimal ducts). Blockage in these ducts can lead to a buildup of tears and overflow, causing watery eyes. Blockages can occur due to:
- Narrow tear ducts: Some individuals are born with naturally narrow tear ducts, which can become easily blocked.
- Infections: Eye infections or chronic sinus infections can inflame and obstruct the tear ducts.
- Injury: Trauma to the face or nose area can damage or block the tear ducts.
- Age-related narrowing: As we age, the tear ducts can naturally narrow, increasing the risk of blockage.
Eye Irritations, Infections, and Injuries
Direct irritation or injury to the eye can stimulate tear production as a protective response:
- Foreign bodies: Something as small as an eyelash, dust particle, or grain of sand in the eye can cause significant irritation and watering.
- Eye infections: Infections like conjunctivitis (pink eye), blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), and styes can irritate the eye and trigger excessive tearing.
- Corneal abrasion: Scratches or abrasions on the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye) are painful and will often cause significant watering.
Eyelid Problems
The position and function of your eyelids play a crucial role in tear drainage. Eyelid issues that can lead to watery eyes include:
- Ectropion: This is a condition where the eyelid turns outward, away from the eye. This prevents tears from properly draining into the tear ducts, causing them to spill over.
- Entropion: Conversely, entropion is when the eyelid turns inward, causing the eyelashes to rub against the eye surface. This irritation can lead to excessive tearing.
Dry Eye Syndrome: A Surprising Cause
Paradoxically, dry eyes are a common cause of watery eyes. When your eyes don’t produce enough quality tears, they can become dry and irritated. This dryness can trigger a reflex response, causing the eyes to overproduce watery tears in an attempt to compensate. However, these reflex tears are often of poor quality and don’t effectively lubricate the eye, leading to a cycle of dryness and watering.
Medical Conditions and Medications
Certain medical conditions and medications can also contribute to watery eyes:
- Bell’s Palsy: This condition, causing temporary facial paralysis, can affect eyelid closure and tear drainage, leading to watery eyes on the affected side.
- Medications: Some medications, including certain antihistamines, decongestants, and antidepressants, can have side effects that lead to either dry eyes (and subsequent reflex tearing) or directly stimulate tear production.
- Cancer treatments: Certain cancer treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, can sometimes cause dry eyes and watery eyes as side effects.
Infant Watering Eyes: Developing Tear Ducts
It’s common for babies to have watery eyes in their first few weeks of life. This is often because their tear ducts are still developing and may not be fully open yet. In most cases, this resolves on its own as the tear ducts mature.
When to Seek Help for Watery Eyes
While watery eyes often resolve on their own or with simple home care, it’s important to know when to seek professional medical advice.
Consult a Pharmacist for Initial Advice
For mild cases of watery eyes, a pharmacist can provide helpful advice and recommend over-the-counter treatments. They can suggest:
- Self-care measures: Such as gentle cleaning of the eyelids and avoiding irritants.
- Over-the-counter eye drops: Like artificial tears for dry eyes or antihistamine eye drops for allergies.
- Cleaning solutions: To help keep the eyelids and surrounding area clean.
- Guidance on when to see a doctor: If symptoms worsen or don’t improve.
When to See a Doctor or Eye Care Professional
It’s crucial to consult a General Practitioner (GP) or an Optometrist/Ophthalmologist if you experience any of the following:
- Persistent watery eyes: If your eyes keep watering for an extended period and it’s disrupting your daily activities.
- Eyelid abnormalities: If you notice your eyelid turning inwards (entropion) or outwards (ectropion), or drooping significantly.
- Lumps or swelling: If you develop any unexplained lumps or swellings around your eyes that don’t improve.
- Vision changes: Any changes in your vision, such as blurred vision, double vision, or loss of vision, require urgent medical attention.
- Severe eye pain: Intense eye pain is a serious symptom that needs prompt evaluation.
- Signs of infection: Redness, pus or discharge, and increased pain suggest an eye infection that needs treatment.
For urgent concerns, such as sudden vision loss or severe eye pain, seek immediate medical help. Contact emergency services or go to the nearest emergency room. You can also call your local health advice service for immediate guidance.
Treatment Options for Watery Eyes: Addressing the Cause
The treatment for watery eyes depends entirely on the underlying cause. In many cases, no specific treatment is needed, and the condition will resolve on its own. However, when treatment is necessary, it may include:
- Eye drops and ointments: For dry eyes, lubricating eye drops or ointments can help. For allergic conjunctivitis, antihistamine or mast cell stabilizer eye drops may be prescribed. Antibiotic eye drops are used to treat bacterial eye infections.
- Allergy medications: Oral antihistamines or other allergy medications can help manage allergy-related watery eyes.
- Foreign body removal: If a foreign object is causing the watering, it needs to be carefully removed by a healthcare professional.
- Eyelid surgery: For ectropion or entropion, surgery may be necessary to correct the eyelid position and improve tear drainage.
- Tear duct surgery: If blocked tear ducts are the issue, a minor surgical procedure can be performed to open or bypass the blockage and restore normal tear drainage.
If your GP or optometrist cannot determine the cause of your watery eyes, they may refer you to an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) for further specialized testing and diagnosis.
By understanding the various reasons why your eyes might be watering, you can take appropriate steps to find relief and ensure your eye health. Don’t hesitate to seek professional medical advice if you are concerned about persistent or severe watery eyes.
Page last reviewed: 12 November 2024
Next review due: 12 November 2027
