What Causes Watery Eyes and How Can You Treat Them?
Did your eyes become all watery last time you had a good laugh with your friends? That’s normal.
But eyes watering all the time can be a sign of dry eye disease or another underlying condition. Constant and excessive eye watering even has a name: epiphora.
Read on to find out more about eyes constantly watering and how dry eyes and excessive eye watering are related. We’ll also look at other watery eyes causes.
What Are Watery Eyes?
When you have watery eyes, your tear glands produce too many tears. These may cause blurry vision and other annoying sensations that can interfere with your work.
Blurriness is a common symptom of watery eyes, and it can make it more difficult to drive.
In mild cases, teary eyes will clear up on their own. In more serious cases, you will need to understand what is causing your watery eyes and follow an appropriate treatment.
Good to know: Itchy watery eyes or burning watery eyes can be a sign of conjunctivitis, a contagious disease. If you have one eye burning and watering, see an eye doctor.
Are Watery Eyes Related to Dry Eyes?
Do dry eyes water? It may sound contradictory, but dry eye disease can make your eyes water more than normal.
A healthy tear film consists of a balanced mixture of water, oils, and salt that lubricates the surface of the eye and prevents tears from evaporating too fast.
Imbalances in the tear film, whether caused by meibomian gland problems or nutritional deficiencies, can trigger dry eyes.
When you have very dry eyes, the surface of the eye lacks lubrication. In reaction to this, the tear glands continue to produce tears to try to lubricate the eyes.
But if the tear film is of poor quality, lacking the oily component, it cannot lubricate the eyes as normal. As a result, the surface of the eye becomes irritated, and the tear glands keep producing tears to try to wash away the irritation.
This creates an unhealthy cycle in which the dryer the surface of your eyes becomes, the more tears your glands will produce. In other words, you develop dry watery eyes.
Why Do I Have Watery Eyes?
Watery eyes is a condition that can have many triggers. Even when dry eye disease is behind it, many different causes can be at play.
Some people can develop dry eyes after using eye drops to treat other eye conditions. Others may have nutritional deficiencies that disrupt the normal function of the tear glands.
Understanding what causes your watery eyes is important to treat the condition and prevent it from reappearing. The most common watery eyes causes include:
- Dry eyes – As we’ve seen, dry eyes can cause watery eyes. At the same time, dry and watery eyes share many of the other triggers on this list.
- Environmental factors – Bright light, smoke, wind, cold, and dust can all cause watery, sensitive eyes.
- Allergens – Pollen, dust mites, or hay are just some of the allergens that may make your eyes water. Watery eyes and runny nose are a common sign of allergy.
- Eye strain – Working on your computer late into the night could mean waking with watery eyes in the morning. Using screens for extended periods can strain your eyes by disrupting normal blinking patterns and overtaxing your eye muscles. It can lead to both dry eyes and watery eyes.
- Eye surgery – Watery eyes after cataract surgery and other eye procedures are common. A 2019 study associates this with the surgical incision itself, the decrease in tear film production because of the light emitted by the operating microscope, the use of antibiotic steroid eye drops, and reduced mucin production (mucin provides hydration and lubrication to the ocular surface).
- Certain medications – From eye drops to chemotherapy drugs, many medications may cause watery eyes. If your eyes begin to water constantly after you use eye drops or start a new treatment, check the side effects of the medication. Discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor.
- Diseases affecting the eye and eyelid – You may also develop watery eyes if you have conjunctivitis or pink eye, eyelid inflammation, an ingrown eyelash, or an eyelid turned inward or outward. Some of these conditions can affect only one eye, in which case you may develop only one watery eye.
- Other diseases – A host of other diseases can cause watery eyes including chronic sinus infection, thyroid problems, or autoimmune conditions like Sjogren’s.
Discover a Natural Home Remedy for Watery Eyes
If you have severe watery eyes that interfere with everyday activities, it’s good to see a doctor. Your doctor will look for the cause and may prescribe antibiotics for eye infections or medicines for allergies. They may also refer you to an eye doctor for further investigations.
In many cases, however, persistent watery eyes are the result of dry eyes, eye strain, or computer vision syndrome. Nutritional deficiencies can contribute to all of these conditions.
Feeding your eyes essential nutrients can reduce tearing and help them recover. Even if you have a busy schedule that doesn’t allow you to eat as healthy as you’d like, you can still provide your eyes with important nutrients to support their health.
The Blueberry Gummies from Sightsage pack a healthy dose of antioxidants and other phytochemicals into a delicious, sugar-free treat. They also have vitamins C, K, E, and B6, as well as minerals like copper, potassium, and manganese.
Made with Canadian freeze-dried blueberries, Blueberry Gummies are a rich source of the macular pigments lutein and zeaxanthin known for their many eye health benefits.
And since they are sweetened with Monk fruit extract, a healthy, zero-calorie sweetener, they are safe if you want to keep your blood sugar levels in check.
In the end, Blueberry Gummies are a simple and effective watery eyes treatment.
Want to soothe your eyes? You can count on Blueberry Gummies as home remedies for watery eyes.
How to take them: To soothe your eyes with Blueberry Gummies, take three gummies two times a day.
Customers who have tried the Blueberry Gummies have found that they help with watery eyes. Here’s what one of them had to say in her review:
“No More Watery Eyes. Within the first two days, I noticed a HUGE difference in my watery eyes. What a relief! I recommend 10/10.” – Myra Orgain
Say goodbye to watery eyes. Try now the Blueberry Gummies.