In life we do not lack to see some elderly people carrying a handkerchief, constantly wiping tears from the corners of their eyes. It’s not that they are particularly emotional, but that they shed tears unconsciously. Some elderly people even suspect that their eyes are suffering from incurable diseases and will go blind, so they are afraid every day. Why are they often “teary-eyed”? There are various causes of tears in the elderly, as long as the right treatment, some treatment effect is still very good, you can not worry too much. The formation of tears and the role of figure out the causes of tears in the elderly, first of all, we need to understand the way tears are produced and discharged. Tears are produced by the lacrimal gland, an organ in the body that secretes tears, and are then evenly distributed on the surface of the eye. The eyelid (commonly known as the eyelid) has two small holes near the edge of the inner corner of the eye, called tear dots, from which tears are sucked into a special tube, the DD nasolacrimal duct, which eventually flows into the nasal cavity. The right amount of tears has the function of protecting, moisturizing and lubricating the eyeball, so it will not damage our eyeball. The lysozyme contained in the tears can destroy the bacteria on the surface of the eye to play a defensive role. So normal tears are essential for humans. The causes of tear gush in the elderly: 1, narrow or blocked discharge pipeline As mentioned above, under normal circumstances, because tears have the role of protecting and moistening the ball, so tears are also produced and discharged continuously in small amounts, and because it has a discharge pipeline, it will be discharged into the nasal cavity, and will not flow out of the eyes. So only when you cry, tears will come out in large quantities. However, in elderly people, as they grow older, their eyes may be affected by certain chronic inflammatory diseases, which may narrow or block the drainage ducts, so that tears cannot flow through the ducts to the nasal cavity, but can only flow outward, and will flow out uninterruptedly. If the ducts are narrowed, there is usually no other uncomfortable feeling if they are not inflamed, but the tears will keep flowing all year round, making people feel extremely uncomfortable. 2, dry eye Perhaps you may find this cause a bit strange, why would tears flow out of dry eyes instead? Dry eye patients are the entire eye tear secretion function has decreased, which is manifested as a decline in the stability of tears, after the decline in stability, that is, the protective film damage, after the damage to the protective film will cause irritation to the cornea, can be told through the nerve reflexes of the human command brain, the brain receives the information will stimulate our tear glands, so the secretion of tears instead of the normal amount to make up for the tear function Bad, this will make the tears keep gushing out. Dry eye syndrome is also accompanied by itchiness, dryness, astringency, redness, sometimes the eyes will be sore, and in severe cases, seeing things will feel unclear. 3. Ectropion or entropion Sometimes an ectropion of the eyelid prevents the opening of the small tear-absorbing duct from fitting into the eye where the tears flow, so it cannot absorb the tears into the nasal cavity and they naturally flow outside. When people get older, their eyelids loosen up, which causes the eyelids and eyelashes to turn inward, which we call spastic entropion. When the eyelashes fall in, they irritate the eyes and cause tears to flow out. 4. Keratitis There are also causes of inflammation of the eye, especially inflammation of the cornea, which can stimulate the sensory nerves of our cornea. After being stimulated, it will cause a large amount of tears to be secreted, which will manifest as watery eyes. There are many causes of keratitis. Normally, under normal circumstances, it does not cause inflammation of the cornea because the entire surface of the eye is intact, and it becomes difficult for bacteria to invade the corneal tissue. However, if a trauma is sustained and the intact barrier effect is destroyed, bacteria can pass through this traumatic wound and bring bacteria into the cornea of the eye, which can then become inflamed in the cornea. There is also the more complex pathogenesis of viral keratitis, which is caused by a viral infection that may have been present when the patient was a child but does not develop. In some cases, such as when the patient is overworked or has a reduced immune system, the virus is activated and can multiply in the cornea and cause viral keratitis. Viral keratitis is also associated with very pronounced pain, inability to open the eyes, and fear of light. Treatment of tearing in the elderly: Once the cause of tearing is identified, symptomatic treatment can be given for different conditions. Treatment of narrowed or blocked ducts Tears caused by narrowed or blocked ducts can be treated with duct recanalization surgery. The success rate of the procedure is about 70%. The procedure is relatively less invasive and most people have a better prognosis for the surgery. However, there is a possibility of re-adhesion in some people, and these patients may consider laser surgery again. 2.Treatment of dry eye The treatment of dry eye depends on its own cause. In general, the tear film can be divided into three layers: the lipid layer, the water layer and the mucin layer. The lipid layer is the outermost layer of the tear film, which protects the evaporation of tears; the water layer is the main functional layer of the tear film; and the mucin layer allows the water layer to adhere to the surface of the eye for the purpose of stabilizing the tear film. The treatment depends on which layer has the problem. Generally speaking, if the lipid layer is deficient in dry eyes, lipid production can be improved by promoting the restoration of the function of the lid gland. If the aqueous layer is deficient, this can be done by supplementing with artificial tears, such as giving extra artificial tears. In some cases, dry eye is caused by immune disorders that damage the lacrimal gland. For these patients, a combination of medication with immune agents and supplemental artificial tears can be used to treat dry eye. For patients with severe dry eye symptoms, tear suppositories can be used for treatment. By stopping the loss of tears, the quality and quantity of tears can be improved. Some patients with advanced dry eye can also be treated with submandibular gland transplantation. The submandibular gland is derived from an autologous salivary gland, so the procedure is a two-step process. First, the salivary gland is obtained from the autologous body, and second, it is transplanted near the autologous lacrimal gland and used to replace the lacrimal gland for the purpose of tear secretion by reconstructing the secretory channel. 3, treatment of ectropion and entropion Ectropion and entropion caused by lacrimation first consider surgery, the efficacy is more certain. 4, the treatment of keratitis keratitis treatment first consider medication, depending on the pathogen, bacterial keratitis with anti-bacterial drugs, viral keratitis with anti-viral drugs, and fungal keratitis with antifungal drugs. Generally, tearing symptoms are relieved after the infection is controlled. Special reminder Patients should use eye drops, especially antibiotic eye drops, under the guidance of a doctor to avoid side effects such as drug-related eye surface damage and drug-related dry eye.