What can cause watery eyes?

[Lourdes]

My mother has watery eyes all the time. Is there something she can do to stop it?

[Morris Ranch]

There are three kind of basic factor which cause watery eyes. A personal may experience watery eyes due to excessive tear production, inadequate drainage of a normal amount of tears, or inflammation in the eyes. Excessive tear production can actually be stimulated by overly dry eyes, superficial foreign bodies, cranial nerve V irritation, eye strain, and situational occurrences such as vomiting and laughing. Poor clearance of tears can be caused by laxity of the eyelid or obstruction of the tear duct that drains tears to the nose. Inflammation due to conjunctivitis, blepharitis or allergies, for example, can also lead to watery eyes. Moreover, your mother need to consult her eye doctor if her eyes are constant, excessive watering. The first step in the evaluation will be to obtain a more detailed medical history and conduct a physical exam. Simple information such as the use of contacts, change in environment, presence of other allergies or allergic symptoms, and the presence/absence of any systemic symptoms can go a long way in helping to define the cause. Once this is established, her doctor will be able to devise a treatment plan targeted to the specific etiology than can help reduce the excessive water in her eyes.

[Louvale]

Dry-eye syndrome often leads to watery eyes. When eyes dry out, they become irritated and uncomfortable. That prompts the lacrimal glands to produce so many tears that they overwhelm the eye's natural drainage system. Tear production tends to lessen with age, so dry eyes are more common in older adults. Some medical conditions and medications can also lead to dryness, as can a dry and windy environment. But the most common cause of dry eye syndrome is a chronic condition called keratoconjunctivitis sicca. People with this condition make tears, but the tears do not contain enough water. In addition to excessive tearing, symptoms of dry eye syndrome may include blurred vision, itchy eyes, or burning eyes. One remedy for milder cases of dry eye is using over-the-counter artificial tears. Other treatments include prescription drugs.

[Morrison]

Generally, there are two main causes of watery eyes. One is blocked tear ducts and the other is excessive production of tears. The most common cause of watering eyes for most adults or older children are blocked tear ducts or narrow tear dust. Narrowed tear ducts usually become so as a result of swelling.If a person's tear dusts are narrowed or blocked their tears will not be able to drain away and will build up in the tear sac. Stagnant tears in the tear sac increase the risk of infection in that area and the eye will produce a sticky liquid, further exacerbating the problem. Infection can also lead to inflammation on the side of the nose, next to the eye. Narrow drainage channels on the insides of the eyes (canaliculi) can become blocked. This is caused by swelling or scarring. As to over-production of tears, the irritated eyes my produce more tears than normal as the body tries to rinse the irritant away. The tears of some patients have a high fat (lipid) content. This may interfere with the even spread of liquid across the eye, leaving dry patches which become sore, irritated and cause the eye to produce more tears.Treatment options depend on the severity of the epiphora and its causes. In mild cases doctors may recommend just watchful waiting-doing nothing and monitoring the person's progress.

[Louviers]

There are two main causes of watery eyes,excessive tear production, or poor tear drainage.Too many tears. Tear over-secretion is usually caused by irritation or inflammation of the surface of the eye. This can occur for a number of reasons, including eyelash and eyelid problems or allergies. Oddly, a dry eye problem can sometimes cause watery eyes, because the eye produces excess tears to combat the irritation and dryness.Poor tear drainage. Watery eyes can also occur when the eye's tear drainage channels can't drain a normal volume of tears. This can be caused by a blocked tear drainage duct, narrow or displaced tear drainage openings (puncta), or lax eyelids causing the normal tear drainage 'pump' (usually activated by blinking) to fail.