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Watery eyes, medically known as epiphora, is a common condition characterized by the abnormal overflow of tears onto the cheek. It is a symptom of either excessive tear production or, more commonly, a blockage in the tear drainage system.
read more about watery eyes ...The overflow is caused by two mechanisms: hypersecretion (overproduction of tears, often due to irritation or inflammation) or obstruction (a blockage in the tear drainage pathway). Obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct is the most frequent cause, preventing the tears from draining into the nose. This failure in the drainage system causes the tears to spill over the lower eyelid.
Symptoms are associated with constant moisture and irritation. Patients experience tears streaming onto the cheek, blurry vision (due to the pooling of tears), and chronic redness of the lower eyelid skin. Symptoms are often aggravated by cold, wind, or dust, which trigger reflex tear production, overwhelming the already blocked drainage system.
Diagnosis involves several tests to assess the drainage pathway. The eye doctor performs a dye disappearance test, where a colored drop is placed in the eye to see how quickly it drains. They may also perform a nasolacrimal irrigation (probing) procedure to check if the tear duct is structurally blocked.
Management strategies depend on the cause. For hypersecretion, anti-inflammatory drops treat the irritation. For obstruction, treatment involves probing or surgery (dacryocystorhinostomy or DCR) to create a new drainage channel into the nose.
Epiphora impacts vision by causing fluctuating blurriness (due to the excessive tears over the cornea) and chronic skin irritation. The constant moisture can also lead to secondary skin infections or breakdown around the eye.
No, tearing is most often caused by a blockage in the tear drainage duct, not allergies.
Yes, but the excess fluid can sometimes cause the contact lens to move or dislodge.
Yes, surgery is a common and successful treatment for chronically blocked nasolacrimal ducts in adults.
Seek medical care if your tearing is accompanied by pain or swelling in the inner corner of your eye. This may be "Dacryocystitis", an infection of the tear sac. A doctor can perform a "Jones Test" with dye to determine exactly where the drainage system is blocked.
AAO. Blocked Tear Duct (aao.org). 2024.
Mayo Clinic. Watery Eyes Symptoms (mayoclinic.org). 2024.
Cleveland Clinic. Epiphora Guide (clevelandclinic.org). 2024.
StatPearls. Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). 2024.