Constant tearing in adults: causes and treatment

It is normal for the eyes to water in strong sunlight, cold wind or after little sleep. But constant tearing, day and night, has causes that need a diagnosis.

Main causes of constant tearing

1. Dry eye: it sounds strange, but dryness causes friction between the eyelid and the eye surface, which stimulates the tear gland to produce many tears that the eye cannot use, so they overflow.
2. Ingrown lashes: lashes rubbing on the eye surface stimulate the tear gland.
3. A foreign body in the eye.
4. Partial blockage of the tear duct opening: often caused by using many eye drops without medical advice, because some contain preservatives that affect the opening of the tear duct.

Complications of untreated tearing

• Blurred vision because of the excess tears.
• Irritation and swelling of the eyelid skin from frequent wiping with tissues.
• Repeated bacterial eye infections.

Treatment

Dr. Mahmoud El Samkary treats the cause first:

• Treating dry eye with the appropriate drops.
• Correcting ingrown lashes with a cosmetic procedure.
• For a blocked tear duct opening: stopping the wrong drops and switching to preservative-free drops. If this does not help, the opening is widened and a stent is placed endoscopically, and the patient returns to work on the second or third day.