Watering eyes

Category: Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat · All head & senses symptoms

What it can feel like

Watering eyes mean tears spill over the lid and run down the cheek, rather than draining away silently through the tear ducts into the nose. It is a plumbing problem, a production problem, or — most often in older people — eyelids that no longer sit snugly against the eye.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Watering can be associated with wind, cold and smoke irritating the eye, hay fever, dry eye provoking reflex tears, and eyelids that turn outward or inward with age (ectropion or entropion).

Other possible causes

Persistent watering can be associated with a blocked tear duct — in babies usually a membrane that opens by itself in the first year, in adults often narrowing of the duct, sometimes with infection of the tear sac causing a painful swelling at the inner corner.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Watering with a painful, red swelling at the inner corner of the eye
Watering with pain, light sensitivity or vision change
A baby whose eye is persistently watering with discharge beyond the first months
Watering with lashes turning inwards and rubbing the eye

What a clinician may do

Assessment checks the eyelid position, the eye surface, and whether dye placed on the eye drains through to the nose. Blocked ducts confirmed on testing may be opened with a small operation; infected tear sacs need prompt treatment.

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Procedure & test guide: Eye Examination Under Anaesthetic Eua And Probing For Blocked Tear Duct In Children

Frequently asked questions

Why would a blocked tear duct make the eye water on a still day?

Tears are produced constantly and drained constantly. Narrow the drain and normal production overflows — no extra tears needed. The overflow is worst outdoors because wind adds reflex production on top of the blockage.

Do babies outgrow watering eyes?

Usually — roughly a fifth of babies are born with an incompletely opened tear duct, and most open spontaneously by the first birthday. Massage over the tear sac and cleaning crusting away are the usual measures; persistence beyond a year earns a referral for a simple probing procedure.

Related symptoms — Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat

Bad breath (halitosis)Bleeding gums Blocked ear feeling Blocked or runny nose Blurred vision Difficulty swallowing

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.