No, my dog did not die this morning. There are no relationship problems. And I wasn't fired either. Yet many a fellow villager will think that I am not completely stable mentally, so to speak. I regularly sit on the bike with watery eyes crying. And even when you see me walking, a tear often trickles down my cheeks. Watery eyes:especially in the winter I suffer from it a lot. Recognizable? Then we are not the only ones. You can read more about it here.
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We all cry. Of sadness, and sometimes happy also of joy. Stress and hormones can also cause us to burst into tears a little earlier. The Irish have a nice expression for it… Then your bladder is too close to your eye.
But suffering from watery eyes is really not the same as crying. You often suffer from it in the colder months, and in strong winds. But there are also people who suffer chronically from watery eyes. How come you let those tears run uncontrollably? And an even more important question:is there anything that can be done about it?
Everyone suffers from a watery eye from time to time. If dirt gets in, for example. Do the men immediately have a nice excuse for when they do get really emotional. But tear eyes come in different forms. And they have different causes:
If you are in doubt as a result of the above causes, do an eye test just to be sure.
Reflex tears are actually the most common form of watery eyes. In strong wind, or if something gets in your eye, you will automatically tear. Everyone suffers from that. So no need to panic, sunglasses can do wonders. If it still bothers you a lot, you can always report this to your doctor.
Reflex tears occur when your eye is irritated. Your eyes then try to wash away what is irritating. Note:you can also have an inflammation on your eyelid that irritates the eye. Maybe you've had it before, such a small (red) bump on your eyelid. That scrapes against your eye:very irritating, and it also produces extra tears. Fortunately, it often goes away on its own.
As we said:you can do very little about reflex tears. Just like your other reflexes. If you have an eyelid infection, you can keep your eye clean. Clean it twice a day with a cotton swab (or cotton pad) and preferably boiled water. You can also wear sunglasses.
If your eyes are too dry, you may also experience excessive tearing. Precisely because your eyes are so dry, they will compensate. You will then suffer from watery eyes. But your eyes are still too dry! Very weird. The quality of your tear fluid is then not good enough. You might not say it, but tears are quite complicated. It consists of fat, water and mucus. And if the balance between these is not right, you can get dry eyes. Your body wants to recover that, so you start making extra tears.
You can get dry eyes from all sorts of things. Such as heating or air conditioning. Or if you strain your eyes a lot. So it is quite difficult to determine exactly how you got those dry eyes. But how do you get rid of it?
<3 Weleda eyebright can be found here
If you have watery eyes because your eyes are too dry, you can go for eye drops. But maybe it's also a matter of adjusting your lifestyle a bit. Give your eyes plenty of rest after using them strenuously. You can also do certain exercises. Squeeze your eyes three times tightly, then open them wide. Or put your hands over your closed eyes and let them sit for 3 minutes. Immediately a good relaxation exercise.
I understand from Joyce that she regularly suffers from this, in combination with the lenses she wears. In that case, you can check with your optician whether other lenses are available for you. Better ones that allow a little more oxygen through.
You can also suffer from tearing eyes if your tears are not drained properly. Tear fluid is continuously produced. This is drained through your two openings at your nose. It is usually automatic, you just have to blink for it. But if the tear fluid no longer drains properly through the tear tips, your eyes will water. This is often the case if you suffer from drooping eyelids.
If your tear fluid is not properly drained, there is often a medical reason for this. Consult with an (ophthalmologist) doctor about the best treatment method. He may suggest an eyelid correction. That may sound a bit like plastic surgery. But make no mistake:in the majority of cases the reason is medical and not cosmetic.
Finally, tear eyes can have another cause. Namely a blockage or a narrowing of the tear ducts. The tear ducts consist of many parts. The tear tips, the tear ducts, the tear sac and the tear duct. So it's a complex system. If there is a narrowing or blockage somewhere, tears are no longer drained properly. Just like the tear eye shape above. Only with a different cause.
This form of tear eyes also needs medical treatment. Children can also often suffer from it, but they often grow out of it. They already have narrower tear roads anyway. If your child suffers from chronic tearing eyes, please see a doctor.
And even if you constantly suffer from watery eyes, it is wise to seek medical help. Sometimes surgery is needed, but not always. It really depends on where exactly the problem of your watery eyes is. And let's face it, you want to get rid of those crocodile tears, don't you?
Finally, you can of course also have an allergy that causes your watery eyes. Joyce knows all about that too with her hay fever. Since the cause of the allergy is not the same for everyone, the solution can also differ per person.
Do you suspect an allergy? In any case, have this tested by your doctor, so that you at least know where you stand. Are you going for self-care? Then the remedies below may help.
Do you ever suffer from watery eyes? And if so, what do you do about it? More detailed information about watery eyes and the causes can be found here. One last but indispensable tip:use good waterproof mascara if you suffer from tear eyes 😉 .
