Why is my eye tearing up

Eyes water for lots of different reasons besides crying. Anything that irritates the eye can bring on tears because the eye will try to wash it out. So when something gets stuck in there — like dirt or an eyelash — here come the tears! You can't always see the stuff that gets in your eyes. Have you ever walked into a smoky room?

If so, you may have noticed your eyes tearing up as protection against the smoke. Even though the particles that make up smoke are too small to see, they can still bug your eyes. Eyes might also water if you're around an onion that's being peeled or chopped. The fumes onions give off actually contain tiny chemicals that can get in your eyes and make them hurt. Things that can dry out your eyes, like cold air or wind, will make eyes water, too.

To protect the eyes from getting too dry, the tear glands crank out the tears. Imagine skiing down a hill with dry eyes as all that wind rushed at you. That would really hurt! People's eyes also tear when they have allergies; infections like a cold; or pinkeye , known as conjunctivitis say: con-JUNK-tih-vie-tis. All of these irritations can inflame the eyes and make them water. You might not think twice about your watering eyes, but some people do have trouble making tears because their tear glands don't produce enough tears.

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Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Watering eyes. National Health Service. Accessed Aug. Adult tearing. Tearing epiphora. Merck Manual Professional Version. American Academy of Ophthalmology. Allergies Allergy medications: Know your options Allergy-proof your home Avoid rebound nasal congestion Blepharitis Blocked tear duct Can chicken soup cure a cold? Cold or allergy: Which is it?

Cold remedies Cold symptoms: Does drinking milk increase phlegm? Does zinc work for colds? Dust mite allergy Echinacea: Is it effective for the common cold? Ectropion Entropion Eyestrain Have a cold? Common sense rules Have a cold? Fight back with humidity Have a cold? Narrow drainage channels on the insides of the eyes canaliculi can become blocked. This is caused by swelling or scarring.

Some people have tears with a high fat, or lipid, content. This may interfere with the even spread of liquid across the eye, leaving dry patches which become sore, irritated and cause the eye to produce more tears. There are many causes of watering eyes. The following conditions among others can also lead to an overflow of tears:.

If the drainage channels, or canaliculi, on the inside of the eye are narrowed but not entirely blocked, the doctor may use a probe to make them wider. When the canaliculi are completely blocked an operation may be required. You can use a piece of cotton wool that has been soaked in sterile water to clean the eyes.

Sterile water needs to be boiled, but make sure it is cooled before dipping the cotton wool into it. Sometimes tears can be dislodged by gently massaging the tear ducts. Apply light pressure with the finger and thumb to the outside of the nose. Here are some suggestions :. If the following symptoms occur, the person should see a doctor:. Epiphora is fairly easy to diagnose. The doctor will try to find out whether it has been caused by a lesion, infection, entropion inward-turning eyelid or ectropion outward-turning eyelid.

In some cases, the patient may be referred to an eye-care specialist doctor, or ophthalmologist, who will examine the eyes, possibly under anesthetic. A probe might be inserted into the narrow drainage channels on the inside of the eye to see whether they are blocked. If it is found to be blocked, a dye may be injected to find the exact location of the blockage — this will be done by using an X-ray image of the area.