Is a watering eye normal after an injection?

What's normal

The eye waters because its surface is irritated. The ASRS attributes the post-injection sensation of something being in your eye to the povidone-iodine used to clean the eye before the injection, and it says artificial tears can be used to help ease symptoms of dryness and surface irritation. Reflex tearing travels with that irritation, which is why the watering and the gritty feeling usually start together and stop together.

Expect clear, watery tearing, sometimes enough to run down your cheek, along with a pink look to the eye. It is usually worst the evening of the injection and eases through the next day. Preservative-free artificial tears often help more than they seem like they should, because they rinse residual antiseptic off the surface and calm the reflex.

Blot the tears with a clean tissue rather than wiping the eye itself, and keep your hands off the eye while the surface is healing.

Usually heaviest the evening of the injection, much better by the next day, gone with the surface irritation in about 24 to 48 hours.

When it stops being normal

Watering with thick yellow or green discharge, eyelids stuck together, spreading redness, increasing pain or worsening vision is a different picture. The AAO tells ophthalmologists to have patients promptly report pain, worsening redness, reduced vision, increased light sensitivity or increased floaters, because those can signal infection inside the eye. Call the retina office the same day.

Also call if heavy watering is still going strong after two or three days, since a corneal scratch from the procedure or from rubbing can keep the eye tearing and is worth treating.