Tears protect the surface of your eyes, help them heal, and provide comfort.1 You may have watery eyes if you have a lot of tears. Something as simple as laughing, yawning, or spending a lot of time in front of screens can cause your eyes to water. These causes are not signs of worry.

Dry eyes are one of the most common causes of watery eyes. What is dry eye syndrome, and how do eyes become dry? You may develop dry eyes if your eyes do not make enough tears. Dry eye is common during colds or after looking at screens and wearing contact lenses. Applying a warm compress to the eye is a natural remedy for dry eyes.2

Watery eyes can sometimes be caused by more severe health concerns. You’ll want to see a healthcare provider if you have watery eyes, as well as vision changes, pain, or a lump near the tear duct.3 Read on to learn what causes watery eyes and how to stop them.

Causes of Watery Eyes

Having dry eyes is one of the most common causes of watey eyes. Your eyes make tears to ease dryness. Dry eye syndrome can be the result of problems with meibomian glands, located in the eyelids. These glands produce the oily part of tears. This oil prevents the water in your tears from evaporating.4

Long-term contact use, smoke or wind exposure, and swollen or red eyelids may result in dry eyes. Health conditions, such as as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), can also cause dry eyes.5 Lupus is an autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells.6 RA causes inflammation of the joints, resulting in pain and stiffness.7

You might have watery eyes for a number of other reasons, such as:83

• Age-related tear duct narrowing
• Allergies and upper respiratory infections
• Bright lights
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Eye injuries and infections
• Eyelashes rubbing against the eyeball itself
• Eyelids turned inward or outward
• Eyestrain (e.g., looking at technology screens)
• Laughing, vomiting, or yawning
• Skin conditions (e.g., eczema and rosacea)

Treatment Options

Treatment for watery eyes will depend on what’s causing them. Options range from over-the-counter (OTC) medications and home remedies to surgeries and procedures.

Medications

OTC eye drops (artificial tears) and allergy medications can treat allergies or dry eye. Talk to an ophthalmologist (eye health specialist) about other options if medications worsen watery eyes. It’s best to see an ophthalmologist if you use artificial tears frequently or are allergic to tear products with preservatives.5

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Eye Prescriptions

An ophthalmologist may advise prescription eye drops to reduce watery eyes. These prescription drops are designed to help your eyes make more tears naturally.5

Surgeries and Procedures

Surgeries and procedures can resolve more severe causes of watery eyes. A healthcare provider may recommend surgery, for example, if you have eyelids turned inward or outward or narrow tear ducts.9

Home Remedies

It’s important to contact a healthcare provider before treating watery eyes at home. Treatment depends on the underlying cause, which might require medical intervention.3

A healthcare provider might recommend:2

• Applying a warm compress to dry eyes
• Avoiding air conditioning, secondhand smoke, and wind
• Blinking often
• Cleaning your eyelashes
• Limiting allergy and cold medicines if they cause dry eyes
• Not smoking
• Resting your eyes regularly
• Using a humidifier during the winter

Natural Remedies

There are a few ways to avoid watery eyes naturally, such as:510

• Avoiding allergens
• Blinking, reducing screen glare, and using blue light-blocking glasses to decrease eyestrain
• Limiting screen use
• Protecting your eyes from smoke and wind with wraparound glasses

Living With Watery Eyes

Most people will see improvement in watery eyes when they know the cause and get treated for it. You may develop skin irritation around your eyes from the salt content in tears or repeated eye wiping.9

Watery eyes can impact the quality of life. You might feel embarrassed or have trouble keeping up with your daily activities.9

When To Contact a Healthcare Provider

Watery eyes mostly do not require a visit to a healthcare provider. You’ll want to contact a healthcare provider if you have:38

• A foreign object in your eye
• A hard mass close to the tear duct
• Eye redness and pain
• Increased eye discharge
• Long-term watery eyes with no apparent cause
• Nose and sinus tenderness
• Scratches on your eye

When To Seek Immediate Medical Attention

Immediate medical attention can be necessary in certain situations. See a healthcare provider right away if you have:3

• Bleeding
• Chemical exposure in your eye
• Severe eye injuries or pain
• Vision loss