Excessive Tearing: Why Your Eyes Water and How to Stop It

Quick checks: what is making your eyes water?

Answer these four questions. Together they point to the cause in most people:

Tearing that started suddenly in one eye with pain or the feeling of something in it suggests a foreign body or scratch. Watering only outdoors in wind or cold is normal reflex tearing, made worse by loose lower lids with age.

How tears normally work

The lacrimal gland under the upper outer eyelid makes reflex tears, and small glands in the lids add oil and mucus that keep the tear film stable. Each blink pumps tears toward two tiny openings (puncta) at the inner corners of the lids. From there they drain into the tear sac and down a duct into the nose, which is why your nose runs when you cry. Excessive tearing results from too much production, too little drainage, or both.

Lacrimation and epiphora: the medical terms

Doctors call tear production lacrimation and tears spilling onto the cheek epiphora. If you have seen "excessive lacrimation" on a report or want the medical detail, our page on lacrimation, its meaning and causes explains the terms and the full list of causes.

Causes of excessive tearing

Overproduction (irritated eyes)

• Dry eye: a poor-quality tear film leaves the surface irritated, which triggers bursts of reflex tears. Tearing comes with grittiness, burning and blur that clears with blinking. Common with screen use, aging, menopause and blepharitis.
• Allergies: itchy, watery eyes in pollen season or around pets. See allergic conjunctivitis.
• Blepharitis: inflamed lid margins with crusting and burning.
• Conjunctivitis: a viral infection causes watery discharge and redness; bacterial infection causes thicker, sticky discharge.
• Eyelid problems: inward-turning lashes (trichiasis) or an inward-turning lid (entropion) scratch the eye.
• Foreign body or corneal scratch: sudden tearing, pain and a sensation of something in the eye.
• Environmental triggers: wind, cold, smoke, bright light and onions.

Poor drainage

• Blocked tear duct (nasolacrimal duct obstruction): the most common drainage problem. In adults it is often due to age-related narrowing and is more common in women over 50. It causes constant tearing from one or both eyes, often with sticky discharge. See blocked tear duct.
• Congenital blocked duct in babies: a thin membrane at the end of the duct fails to open. It affects many newborns and usually clears by 12 months.
• Lower eyelid laxity and ectropion: a loose or outward-turned lower lid no longer holds tears against the eye or pumps them into the drain.
• Facial nerve weakness: in Bell's palsy, the lid does not close and blink properly.
• Narrow or blocked puncta, scarring from infection, injury or some eye drops, chronic sinus disease and, rarely, tumors.

Tearing in one eye vs both eyes

How excessive tearing is diagnosed

An eye doctor will examine the lids, lashes and eye surface with a slit lamp and may use:

• Fluorescein dye to look at the tear film and see scratches, and to check whether dye drains from the eye (dye disappearance test).
• Tear duct irrigation (syringing): saline is gently flushed through the drainage system. If it reaches the throat, the duct is open.
• Tear film and Schirmer tests to measure tear production.
• Imaging (dacryocystography or CT) in complex cases.

How to treat excessive tearing

Treatments you can start at home

• Preservative-free artificial tears 3 to 4 times a day. This sounds backward, but it reduces reflex tearing from dry eye.
• Warm compresses and lid hygiene once or twice daily for blepharitis.
• Antihistamine eye drops for allergy-related tearing.
• Wraparound glasses outdoors in wind or cold.
• Screen breaks and blinking fully.
• Wipe tears inward, toward the nose, rather than pulling the lower lid down, which can loosen it over time.

Medical and surgical treatments

• Treating infection with antibiotic drops when bacterial.
• Removing ingrown lashes or a foreign body.
• Eyelid surgery to tighten a loose lid or correct entropion or ectropion.
• Punctal dilation or a small snip to widen narrowed puncta.
• Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR): surgery that creates a new channel from the tear sac into the nose. It has a high success rate for blocked ducts in adults.
• For babies: gentle massage over the tear sac and cleaning, then a probing procedure if tearing persists past about 12 months.

Frequently asked questions

Why are my eyes watering for no reason?

The most common reasons are dry eye, allergies, blepharitis and irritation from wind or screens, which all cause reflex tearing. Constant tearing from one eye, especially with discharge, often points to a blocked tear duct. An eye exam can tell whether the problem is production or drainage.

How can I stop my eyes from watering?

Use preservative-free lubricating drops, keep lids clean with warm compresses, treat allergies with antihistamine drops, and protect your eyes from wind. If tearing continues for more than a few weeks, see an eye doctor to check for a blocked duct or eyelid problem, which may need a procedure.

Can dry eye really cause watery eyes?

Yes. When the tear film is poor quality, the eye surface becomes irritated and the lacrimal gland releases large volumes of watery reflex tears. These spill over without fixing the dryness. Lubricating drops often reduce the tearing.

Is excessive tearing a sign of something serious?

Usually not. Most cases are due to dry eye, allergies or a blocked duct. See a doctor promptly if tearing comes with eye pain, reduced vision, light sensitivity, a swollen painful lump near the nose, or facial weakness, as these can signal infection or nerve problems.