A sad movie or a wedding can make your tears flow. But expressing emotion is just one of the many functions of tears. Tears protect the eyes and lubricate them, an essential part of clear, comfortable vision. Tears reduce the risk of eye infection and, with each blink of the eyelid, help clear the eye of any debris, When your eyes become irritated from dust or are bothered by wind, smoke or fumes, extra tears form to help wash away the foreign material.
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There are many other causes of watery eyes, including allergic reaction, sinus infection, eye infections and nasal problems. Ironically, dry eyes often produce excess tearing. Occasionally tear duct problems result in continuously watering eyes.
Blocked tear duct
The tear-producing glands, called the lacrimal glands, are located under the brow bone, just above your eyes. When you blink, your upper eyelids spread tears over the surface of your eyes and pump excess fluid into ducts that drain to your nose. That's why your nose often runs when you cry. If a tear duct (lacrimal duct) becomes blocked, fluid backs up and spills over the eyelid, causing tears to run down your cheek.
Tear duct blockage is rare, but it can be associated with aging, inflammation of a nasal passage or injury to the nose. Usually only one eye is affected. About 5 percent of babies are born with a blocked tear duct. This congenital blockage often disappears on its own within 6 months.
A blocked tear duct can become infected from bacteria in the stagnant tears. This condition is called dacryocystitis (dak-re-o-sis-TI-tis). Tissue between the inner angle of the eye and the bridge of the nose becomes swollen and tender.
Treatment. If your eye waters constantly over a period of several days, see an eye doctor. If the problem is a blocked duct, the doctor may probe and flush (irrigate) the tear duct to help diagnose your condition. This is a simple outpatient procedure. Applying a warm compress to the eye several times a day can help relieve the discomfort. Your doctor may also prescribe antibiotics.
If your symptoms are severe and don't improve, your doctor may recommend surgery to create a new tear duct. In this operation, the doctor may use thin silicone tubing to keep the new tear duct open while healing occurs.
In rare cases the blockage is beyond repair, and it's necessary to surgically implant an artificial tear duct. The artificial duct, called a Jones tube, is made of unbreakable glass and placed in the inner comer of the eyelid.
Medications and dry eyes
A wide variety of common medications, both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC), can cause dry eyes. These include:
- Diuretics
- Antihistamines and decongestants
- Sleeping pills
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Accutane-type drugs for treatment of acne
- Opiate-based pain relievers such as morphine
It sounds like a contradiction, but you may have dry eyes and still at times find yourself with tears streaming down your cheeks. Why?
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Tears are produced in two ways. Basic tearing produces tears at a slow, steady rate and keeps the eyes lubricated. What's called reflex tearing produces large quantities of tears in response to eye irritation or emotions. Reflex tears contain much more water than do basic tears, and they're low in mucus and oils.
When your eyes become irritated from dryness, the lacrimal gland floods the eye with reflex tears. Fluid overwhelms the tear duct and overflows your eyelids. What's more, because these tears are of poor quality, they don't help the dryness. That may make you produce even more tears. To find out more, you can check out Laser Vision Correction Problems.