A common patient complaint in clinical practice are watery eyes, where tears constantly stream down the face without actually crying or being upset. Symptoms include itching, burning or blurred vision due to tears, and having to constantly wipe one’s eyes.
Watery eyes can be distinguished into two main causes. Epiphora occurs when the drainage system (termed lacrimal system) is defective, and hence tears overspill the lid margin resulting in constant tearing. Epiphora may be secondary to other conditions. It is important that your optometrist is able to have a look at your ocular health and the surrounding drainage system to help with the management of epiphora cases.
Watery eyes may also be caused by hypersecretion, which occurs when there is an overproduction of tears. This can be caused by a number of conditions, with the most common being dry eye and eye strain. In a paradoxical way, when the eyes are dry, the lacrimal system may react by producing more tears to help lubricate the ocular surface. Watery eyes from hypersecretion does not just disappear on its own. Appropriate management and long-term treatment is necessary in this case.
If you have watery eyes and are concerned, please see one of our optometrists for an eye examination. Contact us on 9728 7288.
