Epiphora or watery eyes
Tears are responsible for cleaning, hydrating and lubricating the ocular structure. However, if their production is excessive, they can become a very annoying problem and generate crying eyes. This can be caused by various conditions, such as allergies or infections.
El excessive tearing it is known by the name of epiphora and it is a very frequent reason for visiting the ophthalmologist. Knowing its cause early is very important to treat discomfort and prevent certain complications.
Epiphora or watery eyes
Tears are responsible for cleaning, hydrating and lubricating the ocular structure. However, if their production is excessive, they can become a very annoying problem and generate crying eyes. This can be caused by various conditions, such as allergies or infections.
El excessive tearing it is known by the name of epiphora and it is a very frequent reason for visiting the ophthalmologist. Knowing its cause early is very important to treat discomfort and prevent certain complications.
What is epiphora or watery eyes?
Many people think that excessive tearing is a disease, when it is not. The epiphora or watery eyes it is a very common symptom of various eye conditions, such as the conjunctivitis and dry eyes. It is very annoying and can cause difficulty in seeing correctly, as well as irritation in the ocular structure.
This condition can occur in two ways. The epiphora caused by a excessive tear production in the eyes or a blockage in the tear drainage canal. In both circumstances, it is important to review the ocular structure to determine what is causing this condition.
Causes
Watery eyes or epiphora can be conditioned by several causes, among them the most common are:
- La lacrimal obstruction It is one of the main causes of watery eyes. This occurs because the duct that drains the tears does not work properly and the tears overflow to the outside of the eye.
- La infectious conjunctivitis it is a very common cause of excessive tearing. This disease is highly contagious and occurs when the ocular structure has direct contact with certain bacteria. In addition to tearing, the patient may experience eye discharge and redness in the eyes.
- Sometimes watery eyes are a symptom of eye allergies. These occur when our eyes come into contact with an allergenic factor, such as pollen or dust mites. The allergic conjunctivitis it is a fairly common condition during the spring and summer months.
- La scarcity of tears or poor quality of tears may cause dry eyes. When there is little amount of tear or it does not fulfill its mission efficiently, the eyes react by increasing their production excessively.
- The refractive defects Poorly corrected or undiagnosed can cause watery eyes.
- Lacrimal sac infections can also cause excessive tearing.
- Corneal damage and eyelid swelling are also causes of epiphora.
- La visual fatigue and excessive use of digital screens can cause epiphora, blurred vision and headaches.
Symptoms of watery eyes
Depending on its cause, watery eyes may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as:
- Sensation of having a foreign body inside the eye.
- Burning or eye irritation.
- Eye pain.
- Yellowish or whitish eye secretions.
- Accumulation of scabs and flakes on the eyelashes.
- Red eyes.
- Visual disturbances
- Sensitivity to light.
- Itchy eyes.
- Eyelid swelling.
Diagnosis of ocular epiphora
To diagnose the cause of watery eyes, you need go to the ophthalmologist for a thorough examination of the ocular structure. In addition to asking about symptoms and discomfort, the doctor will perform a detailed examination of the eyelids, tear ducts, corners of the eyes, and nose.
To diagnose the exact cause of excessive tearing, it may be necessary perform complementary tests to the eye examination. Some of these tests are performed in the same ophthalmology consultation and others using specific technology such as computerized tomography.
Prevention of watery eyes
Most of the time, watery eyes are caused by conditions that we can prevent, if we maintain good eye hygiene and practice the following tips:
- Contact lenses must be cleaned and disinfected before and after use. Contaminated contact lenses are one of the main causes of bacterial conjunctivitis.
- Don't touch your eyes with dirty hands.
- Use swimming goggles for bathing in the pools.
- Do not lend items for personal use such as cosmetics, contact lenses, makeup, pillows and towels.
- Keep a adequate lid hygiene.
- remove makeup before going to sleep.
- Go to the ophthalmologist annually for a routine checkup of your eye health.
- In necessary case, wearing glasses or contact lenses to drive, working and walking at night or in very dark places.
- See an allergist for a preventive treatment for allergies.
How to treat constant tearing of the eye or epiphora?
Treatment of watery eyes depends exclusively on its cause. Once the ophthalmologist has made the diagnosis of the epiphora, he or she may indicate any of the following treatment options:
- Eye drops with antibiotic medications to treat eye infections, such as bacterial conjunctivitis.
- Use of compresses and physiological serum to clean the ocular structure and keep the eyes free of secretions and blemishes.
- When there is an obstruction in the tear ducts, it is almost always chosen Surgical treatment. The procedure to address this alteration is known by the name of dacryocystorhinostomy.
- When the patient has a poorly corrected refractive error, it is necessary to check prescription and get new glasses or contact lenses.
- La refractive surgery it is also a treatment option to permanently correct vision defects.
- El dry eye treatment It is made up of various alternatives, ranging from artificial tears, lacrimal plugs, pulsed light treatment or drops of the patient's blood.
- Eye allergies can be treated with eye drops made with antihistamine drugs.
