Birmingham Ophthalmologist & Corneal Specialist Marc Michelson, M.D. commented on watery eyes and eye watering. “Watery eyes are the common description for the eye condition called Epiphora. Watery eyes or excessive watering of the eyes can even result in tears running over your eyelids and down your cheeks. Having enough tears is important for your eye health and vision but having too many tears can be annoying and troubling,” said Dr. Michelson.
Watery eyes or Epiphora can be caused by either or both of two main eye problems. First, watery eyes can occur because you simply produce too many tears. Second, eye watering can occur because the tears you do produce just don’t drain properly. As odd as it may seem, one of the most common causes of producing too many tears is dry eyes. When you have a dry eye your eye can “overreact” and produce too much tear fluid due to the irritation. Then, normally when we blink the eyelids push the tears across the eye’s surface, causing them to collect in the lower inner corner of the eye and draining through a tiny opening called a “puncta” into the nasolacrimal canal and out through your nose. If the puncta are closed or the canal is blocked the tears will simply stay stagnant in the inner corners of your eyes making them seem very watery.
So why do we develop tear drainage problems or excessive tear production problems? There are many causes of watery eye and watering eyes are pretty common in people who have dry eye syndrome, clogged tear ducts from infection of inflammation, conjunctivitis or “pink eye”, exposure to irritation from smog, smoke, excessive dust and chemical vapors as well as foreign bodies, eyelid problems turning in or out and corneal abrasions.
If you or someone you know suffers from watery eyes or is bothered by watering eyes please call Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in Birmingham-205-930-0930 to schedule an appointment for an examination.
Michelson Laser Vision and Alabama Eye & Cataract Center are leading eye care centers in Birmingham staffed by a team of specialists including eye doctors who are fellowship trained cornea specialists and cataract and lens implant specialists-all board certified Ophthalmologists-as well as Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser eye surgery such as LASIK for laser vision correction, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.
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