Reasons for the appearance of lacrimation
There are two main reasons for the appearance of lacrimation: hypersecretion, which is the production of a lot of tears due to irritation, and epiphora, which is caused by the accumulation of tears due to the discharge of the tear ducts.
Tearfulness, which is common in older women after the age of 40 and 50, tends to be considered as a phenomenon of aging rather than a disease and left untreated. If tear production decreases with age, but you produce more tears, you should suspect lacrimation disease. Since lacrimation is a disease that can be fixed, it is important to diagnose it early and treat it appropriately.
Dry eye syndrome, which is a qualitative problem of tears, and lacrimation, which is a quantitative problem, can appear independently or together. Both are more common in middle-aged women in their 40s and beyond, and it has been shown that the number of patients increases significantly from late autumn~winter to early spring (December-March) when the cold wind blows. This is due to the inability of meibomian glands to secrete lipids, which causes tears to evaporate quickly, or the cold wind blows and increases irritating tears and narrows the tear drainage.
Dry eye syndrome is a disease in which the tear film becomes unstable due to insufficient production of any of the three layers of the tear film (oil, aqueous, and mucus layer) or excessive evaporation of the tear film, which does not provide sufficient lubrication to the surface of the eye and breaks quickly, causing dryness, discomfort, and irritation of the eyes.
In 2007, the International Dry Eye Syndrome Research Society (DEWS) defined a new concept of dry eye syndrome, which is a multi-major human disease that causes eye discomfort and visual impairment due to instability of the tear film due to increased osmolarity of the tear film and inflammation of the ocular surface.
This instability of the tear film also leads to poor visual quality. The tear film is unstable and dries quickly, causing dry eye syndrome, which is why it is called dysfunctional tear syndrome (DTS).
If any of the three layers of the tear film (oil, aqueous, and mucus) are abnormal, the tears dry quickly, and the cornea sends a signal to the brain that there is not enough tears, and the lacrimal glands repeat the wrong process of producing tears. In other words, there is a problem with the vagina, and the tears that dry quickly are produced repeatedly, and the tears feel like they are constantly flowing.
In mild dry eye disease, there may be symptoms such as eye discomfort, blurring, or blurred eyes, but in most cases, vision is not affected. However, in severe cases of dry eye disease, corneal wounds and cloudiness can lead to vision loss. Although it is difficult to cure dry eye syndrome, it is important to see an ophthalmologist and treat it appropriately because proper treatment can improve the symptoms and prevent it from progressing to serious eye damage.
In general, many people buy only artificial tears sold at pharmacies to self-medicate, which is the same as continuing to take temporary heartburn medicine for stomach ulcers, which is not a fundamental treatment. Currently, dry eye syndrome is thought to be a chronic 'inflammatory' disease, and it is necessary to find various inflammatory causes such as blepharitis (MGD), lack of tear secretion (ATD), and mucus layer abnormalities after a thorough examination at an ophthalmologist and treat them step by step according to the cause, so that improvement is fast and recurrence is small.
When using humidifiers, air purifiers, computers, or paperwork, it is easy to dry out more because the number of blinks decreases, so you should rest your eyes for about 5 minutes every 30~60 minutes while looking at a distant place. In addition to artificial tear drops and tear ointments, warm compresses and cleanliness of the eyelids, the use of appropriate anti-inflammatory eye drops and antibiotic ointments to control chronic infections, tear-producing eye drops (Restasis, Diquas), omega-3 supplements, and if not controlled by medication, tear plugs that increase tear volume, therapeutic contact lenses, and autologous serum eye drops may be helpful.
Since dry eye syndrome and lacrimation have many complex causes, it is essential to treat them appropriately step by step under the diagnosis of an ophthalmologist, rather than treating them poorly with self-diagnosis and treatment.
- Computer users make sure that the monitor is positioned below their eyes, and the lights are installed so that they do not cause direct glare. It's a good idea to take frequent short breaks during close work and consciously blink your eyes while working.
- If our body is tired, we may experience a decrease in tear production, so we try to avoid overexertion or stress.
- Contact lenses cover the cornea and can interfere with the normal formation of the tear film and cause or worsen dry eyes, so they should not be used if you have dry eyes.
- Prevent blepharitis by applying a warm compress with a warm towel for 5~10 minutes in the evening, or by diluting eyelid cleanser and rubbing it with a little pressure on the eyelashes, and then washing it with warm water.
- It is also helpful to increase the intake of fish and nuts, which are high in omega-3s.
- If you are taking medications that affect tear production, you may want to talk to your doctor and consider switching to a medication that has less effect on the symptoms of dry eye if possible.
- If you have lacrimation, you need to find the cause and treat it early so that it doesn't get worse and you can treat it in a simpler way
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