Why do I get watery eyes in the wind?

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Tears in the wind are your eyes doing exactly what they were designed to do. The NHS says plainly that it is normal for eyes to water outside in the cold or wind: moving air strips moisture from the eye's surface, and the glands respond with a flood of reflex tears to protect it. MedlinePlus adds the counterintuitive detail that explains most cases - one of the most common causes of excess tearing is dry eyes, because a drying, uncomfortable eye surface stimulates the body to overproduce tears. Wind creates a temporary version of that dryness on every gust. Cold air makes it worse (tear films thin faster in the cold), and cycling or walking into the wind multiplies the airflow, which is why the eyes stream on a bike and barely water on a sheltered pavement. Managing it is about shielding: wraparound glasses or sunglasses are genuinely effective - they break the airflow, not the fashion rules - and a lubricating drop before heading out helps if your eyes run dry at baseline. Contact lens wearers feel wind-watering more; the lens edge dries fastest. The patterns worth a check: watering that continues indoors and out regardless of weather, one eye watering persistently (a blocked tear duct, which the NHS lists among the causes, behaves that way), watering with pain, redness, or light sensitivity, and any watering after something blows into the eye that does not settle within a day. Those get an optician or GP. The pure wind-only version needs nothing but a barrier. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you read yours.

Why do I get watery eyes in the wind?

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