BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuWatery eyesEpiphora; Tearing - increasedWatery eyes means you have too many tears in and draining from the eyes. Tears help keep the surface of the eye moist. They wash away particles and foreign objects in the eye. Causes Your eyes always contain tears made by the tear (lacrimal) glands just above the eyes. These tears leave the eye through a small hole in the corner of the eye called the tear duct (nasolacrimal duct). Causes of watery eyes include:Allergy to mold, dander, dust Blepharitis (swelling along the edge of the eyelid) BlepharitisBlepharitis is manifest by inflamed, irritated, itchy, and reddened eyelids. It most often occurs where the eyelashes grow. Dandruff-like debris bu...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blockage of the tear duct Conjunctivitis ConjunctivitisThe conjunctiva is a clear layer of tissue lining the eyelids and covering the white of the eye. Conjunctivitis occurs when the conjunctiva becomes ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Smog or chemicals in the air or wind Bright light Eyelid turning inward or outward Something in the eye (such as dust or sand) Scrape on the eye Infection Inward-growing eyelashes Irritation Increased tearing sometimes happens with:Eyestrain Laughing Vomiting VomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article YawningYawningYawning is involuntarily opening the mouth and taking a long, deep breath of air. This is most often done when you are tired or sleepy. Excessive y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article One of the most common causes of excess tearing is dry eyes. Drying causes the eyes to become uncomfortable, which stimulates the body to produce too many tears. One of the main tests for diagnosing excess tearing is to check whether the eyes are too dry.Dry eyesYou need tears to moisten the eyes and to wash away particles that have gotten into your eyes. A healthy tear film on the eye is necessary for good ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Treatment depends on the cause of the problem. Therefore, it is important to determine the cause before treating yourself at home. When to Contact a Medical Professional Tearing is rarely an emergency. You should seek help right away if:Chemicals get into the eye You have severe pain, bleeding, or loss of vision You have a severe injury to the eye Also, contact your health care provider if you have:A scratch on the eye Something in the eye Painful, red eyes A lot of discharge coming from the eye Long-term, unexplained tearing Tenderness around the nose or sinuses What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will examine your eyes and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. Questions may include: When did the tearing start? How often does it happen? Does it affect both eyes? Do you have vision problems? Do you wear contacts or glasses? Does the tearing happen after an emotional or stressful event? Do you have eye pain or other symptoms, including headache, stuffy or runny nose, or joint or muscle aches? What medicines do you take? Do you have allergies? Did you recently hurt your eye? What seems to help stop the tearing? Your provider may order tests to help determine the cause. Treatment depends on the cause of the problem. Open ReferencesReferencesBorooah S, Tint NL. The visual system. In: Dover AR, Innes JA, Fairhurst K, eds. Macleod's Clinical Examination. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 8.Olitsky SE, Marsh JD. Disorders of the lacrimal system. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 643.Örge FH. Examination and common problems in the neonatal eye. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 95.Seller RH, Symons AB. Vision problems and other common eye problems. In: Seller RH, Symons AB, eds. Differential Diagnosis of Common Complaints. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 34.AllVideoImagesTogExternal and internal eye anatomy - illustration The cornea allows light to enter the eye. As light passes through the eye the iris changes shape by expanding and letting more light through or constricting and letting less light through to change pupil size. The lens then changes shape to allow the accurate focusing of light on the retina. Light excites photoreceptors that eventually, through a chemical process, transmit nerve signals through the optic nerve to the brain. The brain processes these nerve impulses into sight.External and internal eye anatomyillustrationExternal and internal eye anatomy - illustration The cornea allows light to enter the eye. As light passes through the eye the iris changes shape by expanding and letting more light through or constricting and letting less light through to change pupil size. The lens then changes shape to allow the accurate focusing of light on the retina. Light excites photoreceptors that eventually, through a chemical process, transmit nerve signals through the optic nerve to the brain. The brain processes these nerve impulses into sight.External and internal eye anatomyillustrationRelated Information Yawning - excessive(Symptoms)Nausea and vomiting – adults(Symptoms) Review Date: 11/6/2023 Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. 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Watery eyesEpiphora; Tearing - increasedWatery eyes means you have too many tears in and draining from the eyes. Tears help keep the surface of the eye moist. They wash away particles and foreign objects in the eye. Causes Your eyes always contain tears made by the tear (lacrimal) glands just above the eyes. These tears leave the eye through a small hole in the corner of the eye called the tear duct (nasolacrimal duct). Causes of watery eyes include:Allergy to mold, dander, dust Blepharitis (swelling along the edge of the eyelid) BlepharitisBlepharitis is manifest by inflamed, irritated, itchy, and reddened eyelids. It most often occurs where the eyelashes grow. Dandruff-like debris bu...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Blockage of the tear duct Conjunctivitis ConjunctivitisThe conjunctiva is a clear layer of tissue lining the eyelids and covering the white of the eye. Conjunctivitis occurs when the conjunctiva becomes ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Smog or chemicals in the air or wind Bright light Eyelid turning inward or outward Something in the eye (such as dust or sand) Scrape on the eye Infection Inward-growing eyelashes Irritation Increased tearing sometimes happens with:Eyestrain Laughing Vomiting VomitingNausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article YawningYawningYawning is involuntarily opening the mouth and taking a long, deep breath of air. This is most often done when you are tired or sleepy. Excessive y...Read Article Now Book Mark Article One of the most common causes of excess tearing is dry eyes. Drying causes the eyes to become uncomfortable, which stimulates the body to produce too many tears. One of the main tests for diagnosing excess tearing is to check whether the eyes are too dry.Dry eyesYou need tears to moisten the eyes and to wash away particles that have gotten into your eyes. A healthy tear film on the eye is necessary for good ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Home Care Treatment depends on the cause of the problem. Therefore, it is important to determine the cause before treating yourself at home. When to Contact a Medical Professional Tearing is rarely an emergency. You should seek help right away if:Chemicals get into the eye You have severe pain, bleeding, or loss of vision You have a severe injury to the eye Also, contact your health care provider if you have:A scratch on the eye Something in the eye Painful, red eyes A lot of discharge coming from the eye Long-term, unexplained tearing Tenderness around the nose or sinuses What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will examine your eyes and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. Questions may include: When did the tearing start? How often does it happen? Does it affect both eyes? Do you have vision problems? Do you wear contacts or glasses? Does the tearing happen after an emotional or stressful event? Do you have eye pain or other symptoms, including headache, stuffy or runny nose, or joint or muscle aches? What medicines do you take? Do you have allergies? Did you recently hurt your eye? What seems to help stop the tearing? Your provider may order tests to help determine the cause. Treatment depends on the cause of the problem. Open ReferencesReferencesBorooah S, Tint NL. The visual system. In: Dover AR, Innes JA, Fairhurst K, eds. Macleod's Clinical Examination. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 8.Olitsky SE, Marsh JD. Disorders of the lacrimal system. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 643.Örge FH. Examination and common problems in the neonatal eye. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 95.Seller RH, Symons AB. Vision problems and other common eye problems. In: Seller RH, Symons AB, eds. Differential Diagnosis of Common Complaints. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 34.