Sarah is the author of nine novels. The ninth hard cover, Above the East China Sea, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2014. The soft cover is being released by Penguin on April 28, 2015.
Tear over-secretion is usually caused by irritation or inflammation of the surface of the eye. This can occur for a number of reasons, including eyelash and eyelid problems or allergies. Oddly, a dry eye problem can sometimes cause watery eyes, because the eye produces excess tears to combat the irritation and dryness.
It may sound strange, but watery eyes are often a sign of dryness. Your eyes depend on tears for lubrication and for keeping your eyes clean of debris. If your tear glands don't produce the correct quantity or quality of tears, you may develop dry eye syndrome. Dry eye syndrome is a chronic lack of moisture in the eye that causes discomfort. When your eyes become dry and uncomfortable, the tear glands react by producing large amounts of tears, a process known as reflex tearing. Reflex tears contain more water and less mucus and oils than regular tears. Because reflex tears are of poor quality, they don't do a good job alleviating dryness.