A common enough question, especially as we head into allergy season. Given how often we discuss tears in our office throughout the year, allergies can just be a ‘drop in the bucket’ when it comes to properly providing an answer for our patients.

It helps first to know that your tears are more than water alone and are actually made of a layer of mucous, water and oil. Mucous to coat and bind to the surface of the eye, water to act as a saline solution containing various vitamins and minerals, and oil to prevent evaporation of the tears. When our eyes are irritated or inflamed, glands that produce the watery component, create extra tears which drain through ducts in the corners of our eyes, thus the well-known ‘runny eye and nose’ combination.

Let’s take a closer look at the more common causes for watery eyes:

Allergies: the number one offender this time of year but in addition to pollens/trees/grass often pet dander, dust mites, and molds are the culprits that create not only the tears but the classic itch and redness associated with the classic allergic response.

Infections: excess tears are produced as a response to not only the ‘germs’ themselves, but also the toxins they produce and release into the eye. Bacterial infections that cause the additional ‘sticky, goopy eyes’ often require treatment for proper resolution

Dry-eye syndrome: the great paradox! But now that you know tears aren’t just water, you can understand how an insufficient mucous or oil layer will cause the tears to just ‘spill over’ the lids instead of keeping in good contact with the eye’s surface

Blocked tear ducts. although less common, watery eyes can be caused by a blockage of the ducts that normally drain away tears into the sinus system.

The great news is that any medical condition causing ‘teary eyes’ can be readily diagnosed in our office and with appropriate treatment, you can happily leave the Kleenex behind!

Please free to contact our office at any time if we can help with this or any other eye-related concern.