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Is there anything I can do to stop my eyes constantly watering? I blamed the cold weather, but it’s summer now and nothing has improved.
Chris Peat, Accrington.
Dr Martin Scurr replies: Watery eyes, known as epiphora, can be triggered by a range of causes. One of the most common is dry eyes, a condition which, paradoxically, means you produce more tears than normal.
Dry eyes are the result of a problem with the meibomian glands, the tiny oil glands located along the lash line of the eyelid; these produce an oil, called meibum, which lubricates the eye surface and stabilises the film of tears that coats the eyeball.
If the glands are blocked, the tears become more watery, causing teary red eyes.
The symptoms can be eased by regular use of lubricating drops, but long term the better remedy is to improve the function of the meibomian glands with meticulous eyelid hygiene and massage (to unblock them).
Wipe the eyelids twice daily with a cotton wool bud dipped in diluted baby shampoo. With your eyes closed massage the lids with a warm compress (such as a flannel or cotton wool soaked in water).
Watery eyes can also be caused by impairment or blockage of the nasolacrimal ducts, the tiny channels on either side of the nose that allow the tear film to drain into the nasal sinuses.
Dry eyes are the result of a problem with the meibomian glands, the tiny oil glands located along the lash line of the eyelid
Or it could be ectropion, a condition that’s usually age-related, where the lower lid droops outward. As a result the tear film overflows rather than draining into the nasolacrimal ducts.
Treatment for blocked nasolacrimal ducts would involve syringing to clear any blockage. This means seeing a specialist who can also assess the eyelid function for signs of ectropion.
My advice would be to ask your GP or optician for a referral to an NHS ophthalmologist for further investigations.
My recent NHS health check said I had a 20 per cent chance of a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years (I’m 71) and my GP has suggested taking a statin. But I’m concerned about possible side-effects.
A. Collins, Tamworth, Staffs.
Statins are very effective at lowering the overall risk by controlling cholesterol but many patients have side-effects such as muscle stiffness
Dr Martin Scurr replies: GPs use an online tool to assess the risk of heart disease or a stroke, based on factors such as lifestyle (e.g. smoking) and medical history (such as diabetes).
The main risk factors, which none of us can control, are age and family history. But others can be controlled very effectively to lower that risk – these include weight, blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol.
Statins are very effective at lowering the overall risk by controlling cholesterol. But every week, I see patients with similar concerns as yours about the drugs causing side-effects such as muscle stiffness.
We hear a lot about these kinds of adverse reactions, particularly on social media, but most people who take a statin do so without experiencing any significant problems. In fact, in trials a proportion of symptoms said to be statin-related occurred in patients taking a placebo.
This may simply be because statins are mostly prescribed to middle-aged and older patients who are more likely to get pains and stiffness due to age. It is all too easy to wrongly blame these symptoms on the drug.
My advice is to take the statin, and if there are adverse effects you can always stop and these will abate, after which you might be treated with a different statin, or perhaps a different drug altogether, such as ezetimibe – which also lowers cholesterol and any side-effects are often mild and temporary.
