Tears are essential for your eye health and vision. They wash away dust and particles that get in the eyes, and they keep the eyes moist.In some cases, however, the eyes overproduce tears, resulting in discomfort or an embarrassing teary-eyed appearance.
DElight / Getty Images
Causes of Watery Eyes
While infection, irritation, allergies, and other causes ofwatery eyesare common, one of the most common causes of watery eyes and tearing is dry eyes. The body senses that the eyes are dry, so it makes more tears.
A variety of things cause dry eye syndrome. In general, they are more irritating than dangerous. While some causes are considered medical problems, dry eyes can also occur with normal aging.
The most likely cause is a problem with theMeibomian glands, which are located along the edge of your lower eyelids. These glands normally secrete an oily material that stops tears from evaporating too quickly between blinks.When they’re not functioning normally, a condition called Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), you can get dry patches on your eyes. The patches can become sore, and your eyes produce extra tears as a reflex.
Other causes of excessive tearing include:
More Serious Issues That Relate to Tearing
If your eyes are tearing and you also have some of the following symptoms, it’s important to make an appointment to see your healthcare provider:
What to Do?
There are a few things you can do to keep your eyes from tearing too much:
An Overview of Dry Eye Syndrome
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.How Tears Works.National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging.Aging and Your Eyes.American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeSmart.Meibomian Glands.Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian Gland Disease: The Role of Gland Dysfunction in Dry Eye Disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.At a glance: Dry Eye.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Pink Eye.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Graves’ eye disease.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.How Tears Works.National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging.Aging and Your Eyes.American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeSmart.Meibomian Glands.Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian Gland Disease: The Role of Gland Dysfunction in Dry Eye Disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.At a glance: Dry Eye.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Pink Eye.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Graves’ eye disease.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.How Tears Works.National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging.Aging and Your Eyes.American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeSmart.Meibomian Glands.Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian Gland Disease: The Role of Gland Dysfunction in Dry Eye Disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.At a glance: Dry Eye.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Pink Eye.National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Graves’ eye disease.
National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.How Tears Works.
National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging.Aging and Your Eyes.
American Academy of Ophthalmology, EyeSmart.Meibomian Glands.
Chhadva P, Goldhardt R, Galor A.Meibomian Gland Disease: The Role of Gland Dysfunction in Dry Eye Disease.Ophthalmology. 2017;124(11S):S20–S26. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.05.031
National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.At a glance: Dry Eye.
National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Pink Eye.
National Institutes of Health, National Eye Institute.Graves’ eye disease.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
