How To Get Rid Of Watery Eyes

From reactions to emotional situations and being exposed to onions, smoke, or harsh weather conditions along with having foreign objects or particles lodged in them, a number of things can actually cause your eyes to water. Generally, this would not be cause for concern as it is natural for the eyes to react this way and watery eyes are usually temporary. However, when your eyes water uncontrollably for no clear reason, it becomes a situation that you want to pay attention to. Per Healthline, watery eyes usually get better without medical attention, but when it becomes unbearably bad, you should consult a doctor to know what's wrong.

Healthline also states that blocked tear ducts can cause watery eyes. Another major cause is dry eye syndrome, which is a medical condition that occurs when the eyes do not have the right balance of oils and other natural lubricants that make them function as they should. As a result, your tear ducts release tears to help solve that lack of lubrication (via Health). Having teary eyes all the time can be difficult, uncomfortable, and even hamper your daily activities in many ways.

If you've got watery eyes, you can get them back to their normal, healthy condition by using a warm compress. Many opticians and doctors advise the use of warm compresses because, as explained above, dry eye syndrome occurs when your eyes lack the right balance of oils needed to lubricate them (via Healthline). According to Rajiv Shah, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, "putting a clean, hot towel over your eyelids can help open up the oil glands" (via Health).

If your eyes continue to water after doing this, it may be because of an underlying health issue and until that health issue is taken care of, you may continue to experience the discomfort of watery eyes. In that case, you should go see your doctor or optometrist and have them check it out and advise you on the next steps to take.

Sometimes, your eyes cannot expel water normally due to clogged tear ducts and as a result, you have tears streaming uncontrollably out of your eyes, per Mayo Clinic. If this is the cause of your watery eyes, your doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointments to help with the situation. According to WebMD, these antibiotic products would likely not open up the blocked ducts, but they can help cure any infection that may have resulted from the blockage.

A more lasting solution would be a simple and quick corrective surgery to unclog your ducts and have them functioning again. "If it doesn't go away, we have to do surgery," Kim Le, MD, a pediatric ophthalmologist with the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit tells Health. The surgical procedure is known as dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) and it essentially creates a diversion for tears to flow through, away from the blocked tear ducts (via Medical News Today).