What causes watery eyes and when should you start worrying?

Our eyes tear constantly, keeping them both moist and healthy. But what happens if those tears turn into constantly watery eyes, and when should you see a doctor?

Tears are composed of water, oil and antibodies. Moisture from our tears helps prevent damage of the cornea, draining through our tear ducts, which leave us with clear eyes.

But what happens when tears continue to flow and what can you do to correct this condition?

There are several reasons why you could be experiencing more fluid in your eyes than normal. Tear ducts can become blocked or inflamed as a result of infection or the outer membrane of the eye can become infected, causing conjunctivitis. This will result in both itchy and watery eyes, along with swelling.

There are also other causes you may want to consider. For example, certain medications—such as chemotherapy drugs—list watery eyes as a side effect.

If you aren’t taking any drugs, there are still other options to explore. Any type of inflammation can result in watery eyes, especially infections, allergies and other irritants.

While watery eyes are fairly common and the cause is usually easy to identify, sometimes they are a result of less obvious conditions. These include include blepharitis (an inflammation of the eyelid), head colds, ectropion (an outwardly turned eyelid, entropion), an inwardly turned eyelid, a foreign object in your eye, hayfever, an ingrown eyelash, pink eye or trachoma.

Sometimes watery eyes are also associated with different disorders or injury to the body including an injury to the eye or surrounding area, sinusitis, radiation therapy, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disorder, or tumours that affect the tear drainage system.

In most cases, watery eyes will eventually clear up on their own. However, if the problem persists, you can try using artificial tears to help with dry eyes or irritation. Warm compresses will also help to alleviate some of the discomfort.

If none of these remedies are helping to reduce the symptoms, your doctor may want to refer you to an eye doctor.

While watery eyes are normally nothing to be too concerned about, you should contact your doctor immediately if they accompany reduced vision, pain around your eyes or a foreign sensation in your body.

This is likely an indicator of a larger health problem and should be addressed immediately.