Watery Eyes

Watering eye, epiphora or tearing, is a state in which one can see an excessive flow of tears, sometimes without a precise explanation.

The two leading elements of watering eyes are –

Blocked tear ducts

This is commonly observed because watering eyes among adults and children is blocked due to swelling or infection.

Overproduction of tears

Here is the list of irritants that can cause the overproduction of tears:

• Some chemicals – fumes
• Infective conjunctivitis
• Allergic conjunctivitis
• An injury to the eye – a scratch or a bit of grit
• Trichiasis – when eyelashes grow inward
• Ectropion- when the lower eyelid turns outward

Various reason for watering eyes have peculiar treatment options –

• Irritation – If the watering eye is induced by infective conjunctivitis, the doctor may prefer to hold for a week or so to see if the problem resolves without antibiotics.
• Trichiasis – An inward-growing eyelash; the doctor will remove it.
• Ectropion – An eyelid turns outwards, the patient may need surgical procedure.
• Blocked tear ducts – Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) surgery can create a new channel that will allow the tears to bypass the blocked part of the tear duct. It is done by an ENT surgeon by Endoscope. It is a day care procedure