Watery Eyes (Epiphora): Symptoms and Treatment

It can be caused by temporary factors or serious conditions like eye infections or blocked tear ducts. While sometimes not requiring treatment, persistent symptoms should be evaluated by a healthcare provider, especially if they affect vision.

Symptoms of Watery Eyes

Symptoms of Watery Eyes include:

• Eyes feel overly wet or watery.
• Tears are flowing down your face.
• Tears accumulate in your eyes without crying or laughing.

What are the Causes of Watery Eyes?

• Something in Your Eye: When a speck of dirt, dust, or an eyelash enters, the eyes produce more tears to expel it. Even things too small to see, like particles in smoke or chemicals in onions, trigger this reaction.
• Allergies: Itchy, watery eyes often come with a cough, runny nose, and other classic allergy symptoms. Sometimes colds can also cause watery eyes, but they won't itch.
• Overproduction of Tears: Irritated eyes can produce more tears when the body tries to flush out the irritant. The following irritants can cause excessive tear production:
• Some chemicals, such as fumes and even onions
• An injury to the eye, such as a scratch or a bit of sand (a small pebble or a piece of dirt)
• Trichiasis, where the eyelashes grow inward
• Ectropion is when the lower eyelid is turned outward.
• Eyelash Problems: Have you ever had eyebrow hair that stubbornly grows at a strange angle? The same can happen with your eyelashes. If they grow inward instead of outward, they rub against the eye. It's called trichiasis, and it can occur after infections, injuries, or other problems.
• Blepharitis: This condition causes your eyelids to swell, usually near the lashes. Your eyes may burn and be watery, red, itchy, and crusty. Many things can cause it, such as
• Infections
• Rosacea
• Allergies
• Burning Watery Eyes: Allergies, dry eye syndrome, eye infections like conjunctivitis, environmental irritants such as smoke and dust, blocked tear ducts, eye strain or fatigue, or foreign objects in the eye can cause burning, watery eyes.
• Watery eyes in kids: it can be caused by allergies, colds, infections like conjunctivitis, blocked tear ducts, or irritants like smoke. It may also occur due to eye strain or foreign objects.
• Environmental Irritants: Smoke, dust, or chemical exposure can irritate the eyes and trigger tears.
• Aging: Tear duct dysfunction as a result of aging can cause tears to accumulate.

Conditions that Cause Watery Eyes

• Dry Eye Syndrome: A paradoxical condition where dry eyes lead to overproduction of tears.
• Allergic Conjunctivitis: Inflammation of the eye caused by allergies, leading to watery eyes.
• Blepharitis: Inflammation of the eyelids, often associated with excess tearing.
• Blocked Tear Ducts (Dacryocystitis): A condition where a blockage in the tear ducts causes tears to spill over.
• Eye Infections (e.g., Conjunctivitis): Infections like pink eye result in excessive tear production as part of the immune response.
• Styes: Infection of an eyelid gland leading to irritation and watery eyes.

When to Visit a Doctor for Watery Eyes?

Seek immediate medical attention if your eyes are watery with:

• Vision loss or visual disturbances
• Injured or scratched eye
• Chemicals in your eye
• Discharge or bleeding from your eye
• Red, irritated, swollen, or sore eyes
• Tenderness around the nose or sinuses
• Eye problems accompanied by a severe headache
• Watery eyes that don't get better on their own

They can clear up on their own. If the problem is due to dry eyes or eye irritation, using artificial tears or placing warm compresses on the eyes for several minutes may help.

If the watery eyes persist, make an appointment with your doctor. If necessary, they can refer you to an ophthalmologist.

How is the Diagnosis of Watery Eyes Made?

• Epiphora is relatively easy to diagnose.
• The doctor will try to find out if you have any:
• Injury
• Infection
• Entropion ( caused by an eyelid that turns inward)
• Ectropion (eyelid that turns outward)
• Sometimes, the patient may be referred to an ophthalmologist, who will examine the eyes, possibly under anesthesia.
• A tube may be inserted into the narrow drainage channels inside the eye to see if they are blocked.
• The fluid can be inserted into a tear duct to see if it is coming out of the patient's nose.
• If it is blocked, a dye can be injected to find the exact location of the blockage.
• Extraction will be done using an X-ray image of the area, which will show up on the X-ray.

What Treatments Are Available for Watery Eyes?

Epiphora treatment depends on the severity of the problem and the cause. In mild cases, doctors may recommend watchful waiting, doing nothing, and monitoring the patient's progress. For watery eye treatment, the doctor may suggest lifestyle changes, medications, or procedures based on the underlying cause.

• Irritation: If the watery eye is caused by infectious conjunctivitis, the doctor may prefer to wait a week or so to see if the problem clears up without antibiotics.
• Trichiasis: An eyelash that grows inward, or the doctor will remove some foreign object that has lodged in the eye.
• Ectropion: The eyelid turns outwards; the patient may need to undergo surgery in which the tendon that holds the outer eyelid in place is squeezed.
• Blocked tear ducts: Surgery can create a new channel from the lacrimal sac into the nose, allowing the tears to bypass the blocked part of the tear duct. This surgical procedure is called a dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR).

Suppose the drainage channels, or canaliculi, inside the eye narrow but are not entirely blocked. In that case, the doctor may use a tube to widen them.

Prevention and Lifestyle Changes for Watery Eyes

• Maintain Eye Hygiene: Regularly clean eyelids and eyelashes to prevent infections and inflammation.
• Use Artificial Tears: These can help manage dry eyes and reduce excessive tearing.
• Avoid Allergens: Minimize exposure to allergens like pollen, smoke, and dust.
• Wear Sunglasses: Protect your eyes from wind, dust and bright light that can cause irritation.
• Take Regular Breaks: When using digital screens, take breaks to reduce eye strain and prevent dryness.
• Warm Compresses: Apply warm compresses to reduce blockages and irritation in the tear ducts.
• Hydrate: Drink plenty of water to help maintain eye moisture balance.

Home Remedies for Watery Eyes (Epiphora)

Home remedies may provide relief for mild cases of watery eyes. Still, it's important to consult an eye doctor if symptoms persist or worsen.

Here are some home remedies that may help reduce watery eyes or Epiphora:

• Saltwater: Acts as an antimicrobial solution, similar to tears, helping to treat eye infections.
• Teabags: Cold tea bags can soothe eyes and may aid in relieving eye infections.
• Warm Compress: Reduces blockages, soothes styes, and helps relieve dry eye symptoms.
• Cold Compress: Alleviates discomfort, reduces swelling, and helps with eye injuries and infections.
• Honey: Honey eye drops show potential in treating eye infections with positive effects in some studies.