Tears keep your eyes lubricated and are essential to preventing infections. They are necessary for flushing out dust and other foreign objects from your eyes. Watery eyes occur when your eyes produce too many tears for the tear ducts to handle. While this condition usually gets better after some time, it could persist in some individuals.
Here are some of the most common causes of watery eyes.
What Causes Watery Eyes?
Your eyes momentarily produce more tears when you laugh, yawn, cough or get emotional. Certain medications and cancer treatments can cause heightened tear production. Injuries like cuts or scratches can also result in watery eyes.
Often, watery eyes develop in people with dry eye syndrome. It’s a condition where the eyes don’t create enough quality tears to stay lubricated and nourished. Since your eyes don’t receive sufficient lubrication, they will continue to produce a lot of tears, causing watery eyes. Your tears must contain the right amount of water, salt and oil to keep your eyes from drying out.
Exposure to dusty, sunny and windy environments can also cause your eyes to water. Eye strain, colds, sinus issues, allergies and blepharitis are other common causes of watery eyes. Your eyes might produce excessive tears if you have ingrown eyelashes, conjunctivitis or clogged tear ducts. It’s the same if a foreign object enters your eye.
When Should You See an Eye Doctor?
You’ll need to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor if you have prolonged tearing with other symptoms, such as vision loss, redness and pain. Eye scratches, exposure to harsh chemicals and other injuries require immediate attention. See a specialist if you notice bruising, bleeding or discharge from your eye.
At Opti-Care, keeping your eyes healthy is our priority. Call us at (410) 795-8670, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.