Watering Eyes |
The eye surface is kept moist with tears secreted by the tear glands. Tears help
to keep the eye surface healthy and transparent. Excess tears are drained
through a system of tubes present in the inner corner of the eye. Watering
occurs when excessive tears are produced, which overwhelms the drainage system,
or when there is a block in the tear drainage system.
Excessive tear production
- Emotional tears. Crying is an emotional response and is a natural cause for
watering
- Irritation to the eye surface. A host of conditions can lead to
excess tear production. The common conditions are
- Inflammation of the eye surface, either infective or allergic conjunctivitis
- Ulcers of the cornea
- A foreign particle, like dust or grit.
- Irritants like soap, shampoo, holi
colors
These conditions are accompanied by redness of the eyes. Chemical
irritants should be washed out with copious amounts of clean water. A foreign
body should be looked for if there is a specific history. Those on the
conjunctiva can be removed carefully, but those on the cornea need to be removed
by an eye doctor. Often, foreign bodies hide under the upper lid. Pulling the
upper lid down across the lower lid of a closed eye and releasing it often helps
dislodge these foreign bodies. Glass pieces are often left in the eye after
spectacles break. It is advisable that an eye doctor remove these particles.
Infective conjunctivitis is treated with eye drops and ointments.
Tear drainage
problems
Watering may occur due to a blockage in the tear drainage system. The
child may either have watering alone or a discharge which may be sticky or
yellow. However, the eye is usually not red. Blockage may be either in one or
both eyes. The tear duct is often blocked at birth, but most children improve in
their first year on massages alone. A small surgery is done if the problem
persists beyond this age. By the time a child is in school, the parents would
usually have had the problem corrected. However, some children may remain
untreated, and would need to be seen and treated by an eye doctor.
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