Causes and Remedies for Watery Eyes
Do you have watery eyes? Are your eyes constantly tearing up? This can be frustrating and uncomfortable. It is not only unsightly, but it can be mistaken as crying by others. The Eye Care Community can sometimes diagnose this issue as dry eye without investigating further. However, the number one cause of watery eyes is a blocked tear duct. In this article, we will discuss the causes and remedies for watery eyes.
HOW TEARS ARE PRODUCED
Tears are generated in the lacrimal gland, and then they flow and get pushed by the eyelids when you blink down toward the punctum. Then, the tears drain into the nasolacrimal drainage system and ultimately flow down and absorb through the nasal mucosa. If there is a blockage anywhere in the nasolacrimal drainage system, tears aren't going to be able to drain. The tears will build up on the eye, overflow down the eyelid, and down the face. Blockages occur for multiple reasons such as age, medical treatments, and inflammatory reasons such as an infection or buildup of oils and skin cells. Even dry AI has been implicated as being a potential cause of watery eyes.
INFECTION IN EYES
It is possible for some people to have an active infection of the nasolacomose sac that is called a decryocystitis. If you push on your lacrimal Sac next to your nose and kind of push up toward the eye, you can push out pus that'll come out of the punctum. From infections, people can develop dacryoliths, which are small concretions of calcium that build up in the nasol system. Otherwise, a lot of the blockages occur due to inflammation and that leads to frequent tearing or epiphera.
In the eye clinic, an eye doctor can often test if there is proper drainage by doing what's called a Jones test where we put fluorescein sodium in this inferior cul-de-sac here and then monitor how fast it's resolving or how fast it's draining. If your doctor is concerned that there is a blockage, they can do what's called a dilation in irrigation where they use an irrigating solution and pump that through the nasal lacrimal system so that in saltwater saline solution drains. If there is a blockage, the irrigation solution will basically push that blockage down and through the drainage canal and it opens up, solving your problem.
COMMON CAUSE
Another common cause of tearing on the eye has to do with drainage issues. This could be due to several things, but mainly it means that tears are not being siphoned along the eyelid over to the punctum to drain and collect correctly in the first place. One of the more common causes I see in older individuals is something called an ectropion.
The bottom line is that watery eyes can be uncomfortable and frustrating, but they can be treated. If there is an issue with your drainage system, it can be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional. A dilation and irrigation test could help you solve your problem.
So, if you struggle with watery eyes, don't be afraid to seek help from a medical professional.
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