Why do I keep crying all the time? What's going on with this "tearfulness" issue?

Sometimes I also feel like crying.

I need to pay more attention to personal hygiene.

✔️What is epiphora?

Tears are expelled into the inside of the nose after moistening the eyes. Usually, the amount of tears is not large, and they flow naturally through the tear ducts, so people do not notice tears flowing. However, if tears are produced excessively than usual or if the tear ducts become blocked, it can cause a blockage in tear drainage, leading to epiphora (tear duct obstruction).

✔️What is the cause of continuous tears?

The causes of epiphora can be broadly divided into two categories: one is excessive stimulation of the lacrimal gland, leading to more tear production than usual, and the other is the obstruction of the tear drainage system.

First, in cases of excessive tear secretion, the causes are excessive nerve stimulation to the lacrimal gland, eyelash irritation, and reflex tearing. Reflex tearing refers to the reflexive production of tears when a patient with dry eye, who has insufficient basal tears for eye lubrication, is exposed to external stimuli.

Tear drainage disorder refers to a condition where one or more of the tear drainage structures—namely the lacrimal puncta, lacrimal canaliculi, lacrimal sac, or nasolacrimal duct—become obstructed or dysfunctional, causing tears to wet the surface of the eye but not drain away.

✔️What are the prevention methods and treatments?

If you usually have dry eye syndrome, using artificial tears before situations that tend to dry out the eyes, such as reading or watching TV, can be helpful. Additionally, since repeated inflammation of the tear ducts and around the eyes can lead to tear duct obstruction, thorough personal hygiene management should be maintained to prevent conjunctivitis or blepharitis.

If symptoms occur, eyelid correction treatment can be performed for eyelid problems such as eyelash pinching. For reflex tearing, symptoms can be alleviated with artificial tears. Additionally, visiting the hospital for examination and undergoing appropriate surgery can improve the symptoms.

Joseilbo Kim Hye-in (phoenix@joseilbo.com)

Eyes/Ophthalmology

Why do I keep crying all the time? What's going on with this "tearfulness" issue?