How to Deal With Teary Eyes

Teary eyes occur frequently due to a variety of reasons including allergies and/or infection. This condition can be treated efficiently and generally easily, depending on the contributing cause.

Teary eyes, or in medical terms epiphora, are a common eye affliction that has different treatments according to the cause. Tears are an important part of people’s lacrimal drainage system (the lacrimal gland is the part of the body that produces tears). Blinking causes the system to produce a liquid that is made of water and salt, which then spreads over the eyes and keeps them moist. It also prevents dust and debris from building up in the eye. If your tear ducts are producing too many tears, you may notice watery eyes. Infants in particular often have teary eyes because their tear ducts have not fully developed.

Most causes of teary eyes are related to allergies. Millions of people worldwide suffer from seasonal or situational allergies, with the number increasing each year. Those afflicted will often have symptoms of congestion, sneezing, and a runny nose in addition to watery, itchy eyes. If you have this form of watery eyes, there are a few things you can do. You’ll want to limit your exposure to the allergen as much as possible, use high quality air filters and furnace filters, wear wraparound sunglasses when you go outside to protect your eyes, and use contacts as little as possible. You can also use over the counter eye drops and allergy medication. If the symptoms are severe or the methods you’ve used have failed, your eye doctor may prescribe a stronger drug for relief.

Other causes of epiphora include blocked tear ducts, infection, dust, wind, and injury. If the explanation for your watery eyes is blocked tear ducts, a fairly easy and common solution is to place a warm, wet cloth over your eye several times during the day. (This can help alleviate the symptoms of teary eyes whatever the cause.)Symptoms may then go away without any further intervention. If they don’t, your doctor can do a drainage procedure or related surgery to fix the issue. They can also repair conditions such as improper eyelid positions with minor surgery. Teary eyes caused by an infection, such as bacterial conjunctivitis, can be treated with antibiotics, whether in eye drop or ointment form.

Although in most cases this condition will clear up within hours or days, the specific time will differ depending on the treatment chosen. Teary eyes can usually be taken care of easily, but if you have symptoms such as pain, excess discharge, nose or sinus tenderness, or extended periods of symptoms, you’ll want to contact your doctor immediately. To learn more about eye health in El Cajon please visit this website.