Table of contents:
- A glimpse of tears
- What causes watery eyes?
- 1. Tear ducts become blocked
- 2. Irritation
- 3. Infection
- 4. Other causes
- There are various ways you can do to deal with watery eyes
Watery eyes are a common condition in everyday life. You can experience this condition when you slice onions, yawn, or when you laugh out loud. However, there are some people who experience watery eyes constantly. So, what is the cause? Check out the reviews in this article.
A glimpse of tears
Tears play an important role so that your eyes are well lubricated and help clean the eyes of foreign particles or dust. Not only that, tears are actually a component of the immune system that can protect you from infection.
When blinking, the glands on your eyelids will produce tears to moisturize your eyes and remove foreign objects from them. The glands in the eye will produce oil that prevents your tears from evaporating quickly and dripping out of the eye.
What causes watery eyes?
Watery eyes in medical terms are called epiphora. This condition can develop at any age, but is more common in those under 12 months of age or over 60 years. Watery eyes can affect one or both of your eyes. Here are the various causes of watery eyes that you should know about.
1. Tear ducts become blocked
Blocked tear ducts or ducts that are too narrow are the most common causes of watery eyes. The tear ducts function to channel the tears produced in the tear glands to the entire surface of your eye.
If these ducts become blocked or narrowed, your tears will build up and form tear pockets, which can cause watery eyes. Not only that, the tears that accumulate in the tear pockets can increase the risk of infection and excess production of the sticky fluid known as belek. This infection can also cause inflammation on the side of the nose, to the side of the eye.
Some people may be born with smaller eye ducts than others. Newborn babies also often experience this condition. Even so, this condition in babies generally gets better within a few weeks, along with the development of the tear ducts.
2. Irritation
Your eyes will produce more tears as a natural reaction against irritants from dry air, too hot light, wind, smoke, dust, exposure to chemicals and so on. Apart from irritation, eye fatigue and allergies can also cause watery eyes.
3. Infection
Eye infections such as conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and other infections can cause watery eyes. This is a natural reaction of your immune system to fight germs, bacteria, viruses, or parasites that cause the infection.
4. Other causes
Apart from the causes mentioned above, the following conditions can also cause watery eyes:
- Corneal ulcers, open sores that form on the cornea of the eye.
- Chalazions (stains), lumps that can grow on the edge of the eyelid.
- Triachiasis, an ingrown eyelash.
- Ectropion, the lower eyelid faces outward.
- Problems with the glands in the eyelids, namely the Meibomian glands.
- The influence of drugs.
- Flu.
- Chronic sinusitis.
There are various ways you can do to deal with watery eyes
In many cases, watery eyes generally don't need special treatment because they get better on their own. However, this condition can also be a sign of a serious eye problem that requires special treatment. Treatment of watery eyes also depends on the cause. For example, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics to treat watery eyes caused by bacterial conjunctivitis or other bacterial infection.
However, to reduce your condition, here are some things you can do:
- Compress the eyes with a warm wet towel several times a day. This is done to clear up blocked tear ducts.
- Avoid reading books, watching TV, or using the computer first so that it doesn't make your eyes water even more.
- If it is caused by dry eyes, give your eyes a natural lubricant using eye drops.
- If the cause is allergies, taking antihistamine drugs can help overcome it.
That is why, if you experience prolonged watery eyes and tend to get worse even after treatment, it's a good idea to consult a doctor immediately. That way, you can get the right treatment according to his condition.