Why Are My Eyes Watering All the Time? Causes of Watery Eyes and Treatment in Dublin

Watery eyes can be frustrating, particularly when they seem to happen for no obvious reason. Your eyes may stream outdoors, water when using screens, make your vision intermittently blurry, or even water throughout the day.

Surprisingly, watery eyes can sometimes be a sign of dry eye disease.

At The Dry Eye Suite in Dublin, we assess the tear film, eyelids, meibomian glands and ocular surface to help identify what may be causing persistent watering and determine the most appropriate management.

Why do my eyes keep watering?

Tears are essential for keeping the surface of the eye comfortable, protected and optically clear. However, excessive watering can occur for several different reasons.

Common causes can include:

• Dry eye disease

• Meibomian gland dysfunction

• Blepharitis

• Eye allergies

• Irritation from wind, cold weather or environmental conditions

• Contact lens-related irritation

• Problems with tear drainage

• Eyelid abnormalities

• Infection or inflammation

• A foreign body or other ocular surface irritation

Because there are many possible causes, persistent watery eyes should not automatically be assumed to be dry eye.

Can dry eyes really cause watery eyes?

Yes. It sounds contradictory, but dry eye can cause excessive watering.

Your tear film is made up of different components that work together to protect and lubricate the surface of your eyes. If the tear film becomes unstable or evaporates too quickly, the surface of the eye can become irritated.

In response, the eyes may produce a burst of reflex tears.

These reflex tears can overwhelm the normal drainage system and spill over the eyelids, leaving you with streaming eyes despite the underlying problem being dry eye.

Meibomian gland dysfunction and watery eyes

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a common contributor to evaporative dry eye.

The meibomian glands are tiny glands located within the eyelids. They produce the oily component of the tear film, which helps prevent tears from evaporating too quickly.

If these glands become blocked or do not function properly, the tear film may become unstable. This can contribute to symptoms including:

• Watering

• Burning or stinging

• Grittiness

• Redness

• Fluctuating or blurry vision

• Eye fatigue

• Sensitivity to wind or air conditioning

This is one reason simply using more lubricating drops does not necessarily solve persistent watering.

Could blepharitis cause watery eyes?

Blepharitis is inflammation affecting the eyelid margins and can occur alongside dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction.

People with blepharitis may experience watery eyes alongside crusting around the eyelashes, irritated or itchy eyelids, redness and a gritty sensation.

Identifying eyelid disease is therefore an important part of investigating persistent watery eyes.

What about allergies?

Eye allergies can also cause significant watering.

Allergic eye symptoms commonly include itching, redness, swelling and watering and may be seasonal or triggered by particular environments.

Dry eye and allergy can also occur together, so determining the cause of your symptoms is important before deciding on treatment.

Could my tear ducts be causing the watering?

Yes.

Normally, tears drain through small openings called the puncta near the inner corners of the eyelids before passing through the lacrimal drainage system.

If tear drainage is impaired, tears can accumulate and overflow onto the cheek.

This is fundamentally different from excessive reflex tearing caused by ocular surface irritation, which is why an assessment is important when watering is persistent.

Why do my eyes water when I go outside?

Wind and cold air can increase evaporation from the ocular surface and trigger reflex tearing.

Someone with an already unstable tear film may therefore notice that their eyes suddenly stream when they walk outside, particularly during cold or windy weather.

Air conditioning, heating and other dry environments can produce similar symptoms.

Why does only one eye keep watering?

Watering predominantly affecting one eye deserves particular attention.

While ocular surface irritation can affect one eye more than the other, persistent one-sided watering may have other causes, including problems with tear drainage, eyelid position, inflammation or another ocular condition.

A persistently watering eye should therefore be properly examined rather than simply treated with lubricating drops indefinitely.

How are watery eyes assessed?

At The Dry Eye Suite in Dublin, the aim of a dry eye assessment is to investigate why your eyes are symptomatic rather than treating watering as a diagnosis itself.

Depending on your symptoms and clinical findings, assessment may include examination of:

• The tear film

• Tear film stability

• Meibomian gland structure and function

• Eyelid margins

• Ocular surface

• Signs of inflammation

• Other factors that may be contributing to your symptoms

Your history is also important, including when the watering occurs, whether one or both eyes are affected and whether you experience associated symptoms such as burning, grittiness, itching, redness or fluctuating vision.

How are watery eyes treated?

There isn't one treatment for every patient with watery eyes.

Treatment depends on what is actually causing the watering.

Where dry eye, meibomian gland dysfunction or eyelid disease is contributing, an individual management plan can be recommended based on the findings of your assessment.

If the examination suggests that your watering may be caused by something outside the scope of dry eye management or requires medical investigation, appropriate onward referral may be recommended.

When should I seek urgent help for a watery eye?

Watering alone is often not an emergency. However, new or significant eye pain, marked light sensitivity, sudden changes in vision, significant redness, an eye injury, chemical exposure or a suspected foreign body require prompt assessment.

If you are concerned about a sudden change in your eye or vision, seek appropriate urgent eye care rather than waiting for a routine dry eye appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can dry eye cause watery eyes?

Yes. An unstable tear film can irritate the ocular surface and trigger reflex tear production, resulting in excessive watering.

Why are my eyes watering even though they don't feel dry?

Dry eye does not always feel “dry”. Some people primarily experience watering, burning, grittiness, fluctuating vision or tired eyes.

Why do my eyes water in the wind?

Wind can increase tear evaporation and irritate the ocular surface, triggering reflex tearing. This can be particularly noticeable in people with an unstable tear film.

Why does one eye water more than the other?

There are several possible explanations, ranging from differences in ocular surface irritation to problems involving the eyelid or tear drainage system. Persistent one-sided watering should be assessed.

How do I stop my eyes from watering?

The appropriate treatment depends on the underlying cause. Repeatedly treating the symptom without establishing why the eye is watering may not solve the problem.

Where can I get watery eyes assessed in Dublin?

The Dry Eye Suite in Dublin provides comprehensive dry eye assessments investigating the tear film, meibomian glands, eyelids and ocular surface to identify potential contributors to symptoms such as persistent watering.

Book a Dry Eye Assessment in Dublin

If your eyes are constantly watering, particularly alongside burning, grittiness, redness or fluctuating vision, a comprehensive assessment can help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.