What Causes Excessive Tearing?

Also known as epiphora, excessive tearing occurs when your eyes are more watery than usual. If you cannot stop tearing up, or you are constantly rubbing your eyes, you might be experiencing this condition. Your best course of action is to visit the doctor for excessive tearing treatment in Greenwich. But what causes excessive tearing?

What Causes Excessive Tearing?

What would make the eyes get watery and blurry on a regular basis? Below, we will point out a few major causes of excessive tearing and what treatments will work to reduce these symptoms right away.

Tearing Up: Annoying versus Unhealthy

One reason why it is so important to understand the causes of excessive tearing is so that you can more easily determine whether your issues require medical attention. Tearing up every so often is normal, albeit annoying. But if your eyes are constantly filling up with tears and causing you to get blurry vision, you might be faced with a health issue. It is especially important to take note of these symptoms:

  • Running tears
  • Eyes that are consistently watering and wet
  • Crying even when you are not sad or emotional
  • Itchy or irritated eyes

An eye exam is the first course of action to determine both the cause and the best treatment for your excessive tearing.

Causes of Excessive Tearing

Visual eye exams, CT scans, and other forms of imaging will all be used to figure out the exact cause of your tearing issues. Throughout this process, you will hopefully be able to determine one of these causes that is true for you.

Dry Eyes

Dry eyes are another medical condition that occurs when there is a blockage in your tear ducts. This might make it more difficult for your eyes to water or for you to cry. Dry eyes also create itchy and sticky symptoms that could ultimately lead to excessive tearing. You can treat dry eyes with prescribed or over-the-counter eye drops, which add moisture to rehydrate parts of your eye.

Allergies

There are a few connections between seasonal allergies and watery eyes that might be at play. Allergies can cause your eyes to get itchy, irritated, and watery. You could be dealing with a specific allergic reaction that causes strong symptoms in and around the eyes.

If your eyes continue to get watery after your allergies have passed, it is a good time to seek medical care. Treatments can be as simple as a medication prescription if symptoms are mild. You may require a procedure to clear out your tear ducts when problems persist.

Duct Obstruction

There are many reasons why your tear ducts are obstructed. There could be a foreign object lodged in your eyes, causing a buildup of tears and other substances. This buildup can also cause dirt to further clog your tear ducts, which could lead to an infection. We have a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatment options that can clear out any blockage as quickly as possible.

Blepharitis

There is another eye condition called blepharitis that occurs when your eyes are overly irritated. If your eyelids get swollen a lot, and it makes your eyes red and painful, you might start to experience symptoms of excessive tearing as well. Like other eye conditions, blepharitis will only worsen over time as symptoms persist without intervention.

Blepharitis is usually treated at home with a warm compress and a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. More severe symptoms, however, should be treated by your trusted doctor.

Tear Duct Surgery in Greenwich

Major cases of tear duct obstruction will need to be resolved with innovative surgery. Whether or not you have gone under the knife before, we will make sure that you are fully confident about the process every step of the way. We use a delicate and highly personalized process to remove obstructions from your dear ducts and restore good health back to your eyes. The surgery does not take very long, and results show up fast.

Recovery & Results

Recovering from tear duct surgery is usually easy and quick. You should expect to take up to a week off from work so you can fully recover. Some swelling and pain are expected for the first day or two. Your eyelids will heal fast, giving you a lot of relief as the tears finally stop flowing. Most of our patients feel a lot better after just one to two weeks following their surgery.

Trusting Your Oculofacial Plastic Surgeon

Dr. Sohrab is an excellent person to visit for problems with excessive tearing. As a top-rated oculofacial plastic surgeon, Dr. Sohrab will address your tear duct issues efficiently while recommending the best course of action that works for you.

Find out more about our treatment process and schedule a consultation today to stop excessive tearing.