How to get your eyes to stop watering?

We’ve all been there. You’re out and about, minding your own business, and suddenly your eyes start to water. It’s annoying, inconvenient, and can lead to some embarrassing situations (cue awkward first date with tears streaming down your face). Fear not! We have compiled a comprehensive guide on how to get your eyes to stop watering so that you can go back to living life tear-free.

Why Do Our Eyes Water?

Before we dive into solutions for watery eyes, it’s important to understand why our eyes water in the first place. Contrary to popular belief, tears are not just an indicator of emotion. They serve a vital function in keeping our eyes lubricated and protected from irritants like dust or smoke.

When something irritating enters our eye (such as an eyelash), nerve endings in the cornea send signals to our brain triggering the production of tears through tiny glands located above each eye. The extra moisture helps flush out whatever is bothering us while simultaneously providing nourishment for this delicate area of skin (talk about multitasking).

Common Causes of Watery Eyes:

While overproduction of tears is often triggered by irritation (as mentioned earlier), other factors can increase the likelihood of experiencing excessive tearing.

• Allergies
• Dry Eye Syndrome
• Cold Weather
• Windy Environments
• Medical Conditions such as conjunctivitis

Knowing what might be causing your watery eyes will help determine which solution(s) could work best for you.

Home Remedies To Try First

If you’re looking for quick relief without having to leave home or immediately seek medical attention (#pandemicproblems), try these simple remedies at home before moving onto more drastic measures:

1. Warm Compresses
   To reduce swelling caused by allergies or dryness around the eye area, consider using warm compresses on your closed eyes.
   • Place a washcloth soaked in warm water over the affected area for 5-10 minutes.
2. Cold Compresses
   In contrast to warm compresses, use cold compresses when dealing with puffy, swollen eyes from allergies or exposure to chilly temperatures:
   • Take a clean cloth dampened with very cold water and hold it over your closed lids until you feel relief.
3. Lifestyle Changes
   Making small adjustments to our daily routines can reap big rewards not only for watery eye prevention but also general health (win-win). Consider practicing these healthy habits:
   • Washing hands frequently during flu season
   • Hydrating sufficiently (8 glasses of H2O/day)
   • Eating nutrient-rich foods (ex: salmon, walnuts) that promote eye health
4. Artificial Tears
   Over-the-counter artificial tears have been found effective by many people who experience dryness around their eyelids (and REALLY dislike crying in public).

Medical Solutions

For more severe cases where intensive home remedies don’t do the trick, we recommend reaching out to your doctor or optometrist who might be able to prescribe higher-grade solutions.

Here are some options:

1. Prescribed Eye Medication
   Certain issues like conjunctivitis require medicinal treatment such as prescription based antibiotics that alleviate swelling and help heal damaged corneas (literally LIFE SAVERS).
2. Punctal Plugs
   If dryness is causing a blockage within the lacrimal fluid (aka tear production), consider punctual plugs as an option recovery method(Um…puncture holes? YES PLEASE!)

(Note: Tear duct stenosis surgery should be considered the absolute last resort since 70% of individuals see positive results just using common remedial procedures.)

Supplementary Strategies

Whether medically or individually seeking surgical intervention isn’t in cards for you right now, consider supplementing home remedies or medical solutions with these other tactics:

1. Keep Glasses Clean
   Like most people, I have a nasty habit of constantly touching glasses and letting little grime vibrate up as I slip the frames on again later (gotta love oily skin). Nevertheless-
   • Keeping your glasses clean will help reduce conjunctivitis episodes since bacteria can thrive after festering for long amounts of time.
2. Limit Your Screen Time
   It’s no secret that staring into our many digital devices can lead to eye problems and fatigue upon scrolling through Tiktok videos for hours (no shame)
   • Follow the 20/20/20 rule: every 20 minutes look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds
3. Massage/Lymph Drainage Techniques
   Flush toxins from irritated eyes by executing drainage techniques like these.
4. Beauty Products
   While products like shampoo, facial scrubs should not directly impact ocular function (SHOCKER), adding more organic supplements may combat allergies via products such as SkinCeuticals Soothing Cleanser Gel.

Conclusion

There you have it folks! We hope this article provided some valuable advice on how to stop watery eyes so you can carry on without any discomfort or unnecessary embarrassment! While there are several methods available as far as irritation induced tears go- Home remedies & lifestyle changes along with considering prescription medication options remain highly effective in finding relief once & for all (or until dryness returns rendering aforementioned tips null!) Remember- don’t hesitate to speak to your optometrist if symptoms persist but also remember things might just be looking up…maybe even bright-eyed and tear-free?

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!