Tears play a very important role in maintaining the health of your eyes. They lubricate your eyes and help wash away dust and foreign particles. You may have to deal with problem when your eye starts producing too many tears. This can result in watery eyes that can be irritating. From bacterial infections to allergies, so many things can cause watery eyes. Luckily, it is possible to learn how to stop watery eyes by making small changes. Let's find out what you can do in this situation.

Ways You Can Try at Home to Stop Watery Eyes

Watery eyes can bother you a lot, but several home remedies work amazingly well to resolve the issue. 

1. Check Your Eyelashes

So many times, you experience watery eyes because your eyelashes irritate the eye. Use a mirror to look closely at your eyes and see if your eyelash is the cause of concern. If it is bending up into the eye, use your finger to pull it out gently. Avoid using your finger if your eyelash is fully inside the eye.

2. Wash with a Quality Eyewash Solution

Get an eyecup and rinse it thoroughly using the solution. Now, add your sterile eyewash solution in it. Bend forward and gently place the cup around your affected eye. Press it gently to seal it in place. Now, lean back and open your eye a couple of times – be sure to move it around as well. This works great to flush out any dirt and debris.

3. Check for the Presence of Any Foreign Object

You are likely to have watery eyes when there is something stuck in the eye. To learn how to stop watery eyes, you need to know how to get rid of that foreign particle in a correct way. Under no circumstances should you be using tweezers or fingers to pull a foreign object out of your eye. Wash your eye first by holding it under a gentle stream of running water or use an eyecup to wash your eye with an eye solution. This should remove the particle, but if it is still in there, you should go see your doctor.

4. Make Use of Artificial Tears

It may seem to be a counterintuitive approach to use artificial tears to treat your watery eyes, but your eyes usually water because of excessive dryness. Eye drops can resolve this issue and lubricate your eyes, which in turn will help stop watering. Simply extend your head back and then gently pull down your lower lid of the affected eye. Keep the bottle an inch away from the eye and apply three drops by squeezing the bottle. Repeat every four hours for relief.

5. Remove Contact Lenses

If you wear contact lenses, removing them may help treat your watery eyes. Moreover, it is a good idea to remove your contacts first and then apply the eye drops or else they will not work optimally. It is also important to ensure that your contacts are clean and you never sleep without taking them off at night. Do not wear your lenses when showering or swimming.

6. Use an Eye Compress for Irritated Eyes

Your watery eyes may be the result of any toxins blocking your tear ducts. You can loosen up these toxins by applying warm compresses to your eyes. This also helps eliminate crust from the eyes. Simply put a washcloth under warm water, wring it out to remove excess water, and then place it over your eyes. Remove it after 5-10 minutes and repeat.

Medical Ways to Stop Watery Eyes

When you try home remedies but fail to get any results, you may consider using medical ways to treat your problem. Here is how to stop watery eyes using medical options.

• Medication: See your doctor to confirm you do not have conjunctivitis or another type of infection. If that is the case, they will prescribe antibiotics. They will give you antihistamine medication in case you have watery eyes because of an allergy.
• Minor Procedure: You may have to undergo a minor surgical procedure in case the irritation is because of a foreign object or inward-growing eyelash. You may have to undergo a minor operation under local anesthetic if your lower eyelid has rolled inwards.
• Blocked Canaliculi: On the inside of your eye, there are drainage channels that can get blocked by tears and cause all sorts of problems. Your doctor may recommend draining those channels with the help of a small glass tube.
• Surgery for Tear Ducts: You may require surgery to treat your blocked tear ducts. DCR is the most common surgical procedure used.

What About Watery Eyes in Babies?

How to stop watery eyes in babies? Usually no treatment is required. You can make this condition better by massaging the tear ducts to help get rid of tears that may be causing any blockage. This also helps the tear duct to develop in a better way. Simply use your index finger to massage your baby's eye – be sure to start from the corner of the eye and move towards the nose.

It may also help to apply warm compresses to encourage the tears to drain. You can do it simply by soaking a washcloth in warm water and then keeping it over your baby's eye for a few minutes. You may have to use antibiotic eye drops in case your baby's watery eyes are due to conjunctivitis or another bacterial infection.

In most cases, the tear duct opens and begins functioning properly once your baby is about one year old. However, your doctor may recommend certain procedures in case your child is already one year old and has recurring infections due to blocked tear ducts.