Tearing in older adults: How to stop watery eyes

Watery eyes can be caused by numerous factors, including allergies, environmental triggers, and infection. Tears are essential for keeping the eyes healthy as they wash away dust and other irritants that can be damaging to the eyes. But if your eyes are excessively watery, this can be irritating in itself.

To diagnose watery eyes, your doctor will first look at the eye for any abrasions, tears, or other abnormalities. Once the underlying cause is determined, your doctor can offer treatment for your watery eyes.

Common medical treatments for watery eyes include treating irritation with eye drops or ointments, removing objects that may be in the eye, or clearing blocked tear ducts. There are some home remedies to relieve watery eyes as well.

Home remedies for watery eyes

• Check your eyes for any foreign items like an eyelash or dust. To best remove this item from your eye, avoid using your fingers or tweezers, instead wash your eyes out. If unsuccessful, you may need your doctor’s assistance to remove it.
• In cases where watery eyes result from dry eyes, regular use of artificial tear drops can prevent episodes of extreme watery eyes.
• Remove contact lenses if you wear them. Sometimes, contacts can worsen watery eyes. Speak to your doctor if you believe contact lenses are the cause of watery eyes as you may need to stop using them altogether or switch the brand.
• Make an eye compress to help remove irritants. Run warm water on a clean washcloth and keep it on your eyes for at least 10 minutes.

Tips to prevent watery eyes

By protecting your eyes you can have greater success in preventing watery eyes. This includes wearing safety glasses at your workplace, wearing sunglasses, and not sharing eye makeup and other eye products to avoid the spread of bacteria leading to an infection.