Your eye naturally produces tears. Those tears lubricate your eyes and help to flush debris and particles out of your eyes to keep them healthy and safe. However, when your eyes produce excess tears, this is known as a watery eye condition. Watery eyes can be uncomfortable because the excess tear production can lead to irritation. Here's what you need to know about the symptoms of watery eyes as a medical condition and what you can do about it.
When Is Watery Eyes Something To Be Concerned About?
Watery eyes can happen for many different reasons. If you're experiencing it intermittently and coupled with sneezing, you can be pretty sure that it's probably related to allergies and nothing to be particularly concerned about.
However, if you experience other symptoms, such as pain, redness, and swelling around your eyes, impaired or affected vision, sensitivity to light, or any other significant abnormality, it may be concerning. In those cases, you should reach out to an ophthalmology specialist as soon as possible. He or she can help you evaluate the condition to determine the cause.
What Can Cause Watery Eyes?
Watery eyes can be caused by a variety of different issues. One of the most common is poorly developed tear ducts. The pressure of the tear production in your tear ducts can cause excessive leakage. Sometimes, the backup can cause the tear duct to become inflamed or infected as well.
In addition, watery eyes can also be caused by eyelashes growing in the wrong direction. If you have eyelashes that are growing into your eye, that can cause irritation and watering. Chemical irritants, styes, and infections can cause watery eyes as well. Finally, cornea inflammation can also be a cause of watery eyes.
How Can Watery Eyes Be Treated?
The treatment for a watery eye condition will vary widely depending on the cause of the problem. For example, if your eye condition is caused by your eyelashes growing into your eyes, a foreign object in your eye, or another kind of irritant, the treatment is to remove the offending contaminant.
For those with tear duct problems, the solution may be eye drops or medication. In severe cases of blocked tear ducts, surgery may be necessary to clear the blockage and get your tear ducts working the way that they are supposed to.
Understanding the basics of watery eye issues is the first step to addressing the problem. Talk with your doctor of ophthalmology today for more information.