Epiphora (Watery Eyes): Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment — A Complete Guide
Updated: 4 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: October 2026
Quick Answer
Epiphora is the medical term for watery eyes, which happen when you make too many tears or tears cannot drain properly. Most cases are temporary and clear up on their own, but epiphora can signal a serious eye infection or a blocked tear duct. Chronic watery eyes are most common in babies and adults older than 50.
What the research says
In babies, a blocked tear duct is the most common cause of watery eyes, and most cases clear up on their own. A review reported that congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction affects approximately 6–20% of newborns and resolves spontaneously in up to 96% of cases within the first year of life, so conservative care (lid hygiene and lacrimal sac massage) is the treatment of choice during the first 6–12 months (PubMed: Schuh, Klin Monbl Augenheilkd, 2025).
When a blocked tear duct in an adult needs surgery, it works most of the time. A meta-analysis of 3,282 cases from 16 studies of external and endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy found that endoscopic surgery succeeded in 90.8% (95% CI 88.8–92.4%) of cases done under general anesthesia and 85.1% (95% CI 77.8–90.4%) of those done under local anesthesia with sedation (PubMed: Vinciguerra et al., Eur J Ophthalmol, 2022).
What Is Epiphora (Watery Eyes)?
Epiphora is the medical term for having watery eyes.
Usually, tears lubricate and protect your eyes. Epiphora happens when something causes you to make too many tears or stops them from draining away from your eyes like they should.
Epiphora can happen for lots of reasons, many of which don't need any treatment. It can be a temporary condition, but it can also be a sign of a serious eye infection or a blockage in your tear ducts. Visit your healthcare provider if your eyes are constantly watering or you're having trouble seeing.
Quick fact | Detail |
What it is | The medical term for watery eyes |
Why it happens | Your eyes make too many tears, or tears can't drain away properly |
Who it affects | Anyone; chronic cases are most common in babies and adults older than 50 |
One eye or both | One watery eye is unilateral epiphora; both eyes is bilateral epiphora |
Outlook | Most cases are temporary — expect your eyes to clear up |
Who does epiphora affect?
Anyone can be affected by epiphora. Most people experience watery eyes at some point throughout their life. Epiphora that happens frequently — chronic watery eyes — is more common in babies and adults older than 50.
How does epiphora affect your body?
Having watery eyes is the most obvious way epiphora will affect you. Having one watery eye is sometimes referred to as unilateral epiphora. If both your eyes are watery at the same time you have bilateral epiphora. Depending on what's causing the epiphora, you might also experience other issues in or around your eyes:
Associated symptom | What you may notice |
Eye pain | Discomfort in or around the eye |
Itchiness | An irritated, itchy feeling |
Red eye | Visible redness of the eye |
Cloudy or unclear vision | Trouble seeing clearly |
Sinus headaches | Headache connected to the sinuses |
Symptoms: What Does Epiphora Feel Like?
The main symptoms of epiphora are:
Symptom | What you may notice |
Eyes feel too wet or watery | A persistent wet feeling |
Tears running down your face | Tears overflow beyond the eye |
Tears building up in your eyes | When you're not crying or laughing |
Causes: What Causes Watery Eyes?
Watery eyes are usually a sign of another issue or condition that's affecting your eyes or your tear system.
Eye conditions
Some of the most common causes of epiphora are everyday eye conditions:
Common cause | What it is |
Allergies | Environmental reactions that trigger tear production |
Blepharitis | Inflammation of the eyelid edges |
Blocked tear ducts (nasolacrimal duct obstruction) | Tears cannot drain away as they should |
Dry eyes | A paradoxical cause — dry eyes can trigger excess tearing |
A tender bump on the eyelid | |
Chalazions | A lump caused by a blocked oil gland |
Entropion | An eyelid that turns inward |
Eye injuries
Eye injuries can also cause epiphora, including:
Injury type | How it irritates the eye |
Smoke or toxins in the air | Airborne irritants that trigger tearing |
A scratch on the surface of the eye | |
Debris, chemicals, or foreign objects | Anything that touches your eye for too long |
Infections
Infections like pink eye (conjunctivitis) or sinus infections (sinusitis) can cause watery eyes as well.
Diagnosis: How Is Epiphora Diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider or eye care specialist will diagnose epiphora with an eye exam.
They might put colored eye drops in your eyes to see how they drain. Usually, your tears will wash the drops and dye away from your eye in a few minutes. If they don't, there's a chance you have a blocked tear duct.
You might need a few imaging tests, including X-rays and a CT scan. Your provider might use an endoscope — a long, flexible tube with a light on the end — to look inside your nasal cavity if they think the epiphora is caused by an issue in your tear ducts or sinuses.
Test | What it checks |
Eye exam | Overall eye health and tear production |
Colored dye drops | How tears drain; dye not washing away suggests a blocked tear duct |
X-rays | Imaging of the tear system area |
CT scan | Detailed imaging of the tear ducts and sinuses |
Endoscopy | Looks inside the nasal cavity for tear duct or sinus issues |
Treatment: How Is Epiphora Treated?
How your watery eyes are treated depends on what's causing them. Many people experience temporary epiphora that clears up on its own without any treatment. Your provider will tell you which type of treatment you'll need.
Medications
You'll need medication to treat your watery eyes if the epiphora is caused by allergies or an infection. If you have a condition like dry eye syndrome, your provider might prescribe artificial tears or prescription eye drops.
Removing foreign objects
If there's something in your eye or something hit your eye and damaged it, your provider will remove it or treat the damage. You might need surgery if a foreign object severely damaged your eye.
Clearing blocked tear ducts
If you have blocked tear ducts, your provider will open them. They can flush them with a saline solution to rinse away the blockage. They can use a probe to open your tear ducts manually if they need to. If your tear ducts are damaged or blocked by something your provider can't remove with either saline or a probe, you might need surgery to open them.
Blockage treatment | How it works |
Saline flush | Rinses away the blockage |
Probing | Manually opens the tear ducts |
Surgery | Opens ducts that saline and probing can't fix |
Repairing your eyes or eyelids
If the physical shape of your eyes or eyelids is causing epiphora, your provider will repair the damage. You might need surgery to correct some issues.
Managing Your Symptoms
Your provider will tell you how to manage your epiphora symptoms. If they prescribe a medication, make sure to take it or use it as often as they say. This is especially true if they give you antibiotics for an infection. You need to take antibiotics for as long as your provider prescribes, even if your symptoms improve. If you don't take the full course of antibiotics, the infection might come back, get worse, or spread to other parts of your body.
Don't rub your eyes. Don't touch your eyeball with anything like a tissue or towel if you're using one to dry excess tears — you might damage your eye or aggravate the cause of your watery eyes.
Self-care rule | Why it matters |
Take medication exactly as prescribed | Keeps the cause of the watering under control |
Finish your full antibiotic course | Prevents the infection from returning, worsening, or spreading |
Don't rub your eyes | Rubbing aggravates irritation and can damage the eye |
Don't touch your eyeball with tissue or towel | Blotting beside the eye avoids damage |
Outlook: What Can I Expect?
Most cases of epiphora are temporary. Your eyes might only be watery during allergy season, or until your eye heals after being irritated by a foreign object. But — even if you need treatment — you should expect your watery eyes to get better. Talk to your provider about what to expect based on what's causing your watery eyes.
You probably won't need to miss work or school while you're recovering from epiphora. You might have to take time off your job or miss some classes if you need surgery to repair damage to your eye, or if your watery eyes are affecting your vision. Talk to your provider or surgeon before resuming any physical activities after surgery.
Scenario | Expected impact |
Typical temporary epiphora | No time off needed |
Surgery to repair eye damage | Time off may be needed |
Watery eyes affecting vision | Time off may be needed |
After surgery | Ask before resuming physical activities |
Prevention: Can Epiphora Be Prevented?
Depending on what's causing your watery eyes, there might not be any way to prevent them. If your eyes are irritated by something in the air, or you're experiencing allergy symptoms, you probably can't avoid watery eyes. Make sure to wear all the proper equipment — including eye protection or goggles — for any work or activity that might hurt your eyes. If you can, avoid your allergy triggers. Talk to your provider about ways you might be able to prevent watery eyes in the future.
Prevention step | When it helps |
Eye protection or goggles | For work or activities that might hurt your eyes |
Avoid allergy triggers | When allergies are your cause (if possible) |
Discuss prevention with your provider | For cause-specific strategies |
When to See a Provider
Visit your provider if you have any of the following symptoms:
Symptom | Why it matters |
Eye pain | A sign the underlying cause needs attention |
Swelling | Can indicate infection or blockage |
A lump or bump you feel or see in your eye | May point to a stye, chalazion, or tear duct issue |
Eyes watery all the time | Persistent watering suggests epiphora needs evaluation |
Changes in vision or trouble seeing clearly | Vision changes always deserve prompt care |
Go to the emergency room if you've experienced trauma or you suddenly lose vision in one or both of your eyes.
Questions to ask your provider
Question | Why it helps |
What's causing my watery eyes? | Treatment depends entirely on the cause |
Which tests will I need? | Sets expectations for the dye test, imaging, or endoscopy |
Will I need any treatment? | Many cases clear up on their own |
How long should I take medication? | Especially important for antibiotic courses |
What can I do to prevent epiphora in the future? | Cause-specific prevention plan |
Epiphora vs. Lacrimation: What's the Difference?
Lacrimation is the healthy production of tears in your eyes that happens automatically. Tears lubricate and protect your eyes. You have two sets of lacrimal glands that make up your tear system:
Gland type | Location | Job |
Main lacrimal glands | Near the upper outer corner of each eye | Produce tears to flush foreign materials out; also make tears when you're crying |
Accessory lacrimal glands | Behind your upper and lower eyelids | Produce the tears that moisten your eyes |
Epiphora is the medical definition for having excess tears or watery eyes. It's caused by your eyes producing too many tears, or the tears in your eyes not draining away as they should.
Key Takeaways
Epiphora is the medical term for watery eyes. It happens when your eyes make too many tears or tears fail to drain properly — and it affects nearly everyone at some point, with chronic cases most common in babies and adults over 50. It usually signals another issue, from allergies, dry eyes, and blepharitis to blocked tear ducts, styes, chalazions, entropion, eye injuries, or infections like pink eye and sinusitis. Most cases are temporary and clear up without treatment, but constant watering deserves an eye exam, because it can mark a blocked tear duct or a serious eye infection.
Take the Next Step
If your eyes are watery all the time, running down your face, or making it hard to see, see your healthcare provider or an eye care specialist. Take every medication exactly as prescribed, finish your full antibiotic course even if you feel better, and never rub your eyes or touch your eyeball with a tissue. Go to the emergency room if you've experienced eye trauma or suddenly lose vision in one or both eyes.
Further reading: American Academy of Ophthalmology — Watery Eyes · Prevent Blindness — Tearing and Drainage · National Eye Institute — Tearing Problems
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is epiphora?
Epiphora is the medical term for watery eyes. It happens when something causes you to make too many tears or stops them from draining away from your eyes like they should.
2. Is epiphora serious?
Epiphora can happen for many reasons, many of which don't need treatment. But it can also be a sign of a serious eye infection or a blockage in your tear ducts, so constant watering deserves a provider visit.
3. Who gets epiphora most often?
Anyone can be affected, and most people have watery eyes at some point. Chronic watery eyes are more common in babies and adults older than 50.
4. What is the difference between unilateral and bilateral epiphora?
Having one watery eye is unilateral epiphora; both eyes watery at the same time is bilateral epiphora.
5. What causes watery eyes?
Common causes include allergies, blepharitis, blocked tear ducts, dry eyes, styes, chalazions, and entropion. Eye injuries and infections like pink eye and sinusitis can also cause it.
6. How is epiphora diagnosed?
With an eye exam. Colored dye drops show how tears drain — dye that doesn't wash away in a few minutes suggests a blocked tear duct. X-rays, CT scans, and endoscopy may also be used.
7. How is epiphora treated?
Treatment depends on the cause: medication for allergies or infections, artificial tears or prescription drops for dry eye, removal of foreign objects, flushing or probing blocked tear ducts, surgery when needed, and eyelid repair if shape is the problem.
8. Can epiphora go away on its own?
Yes. Many people experience temporary epiphora that clears up on its own without any treatment, such as during allergy season or until an irritated eye heals.
9. Should I finish my antibiotics if my eyes feel better?
Yes. Take antibiotics for as long as prescribed, even if symptoms improve — otherwise the infection might come back, get worse, or spread.
10. How do I care for watery eyes at home?
Don't rub your eyes, and don't touch your eyeball with a tissue or towel when drying tears — you might damage your eye or aggravate the cause.
11. What is the difference between epiphora and lacrimation?
Lacrimation is the healthy, automatic production of tears that lubricates and protects your eyes. Epiphora is excess tearing caused by overproduction or poor drainage.
12. When should I go to the ER for watery eyes?
Go to the emergency room if you've experienced trauma or you suddenly lose vision in one or both of your eyes.
Related Reading
References
Cleveland Clinic. Epiphora (Watery Eyes). Cleveland Clinic. Last updated Dec. 16, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17944-epiphora-watery-eyes
Schuh A. [Diagnosis and management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction]. [Article in German]. Klin Monbl Augenheilkd. 2025;242(12):e24-e31. doi:10.1055/a-2643-3436. PMID: 41248689.
Vinciguerra A, Nonis A, Giordano Resti A, Ali MJ, Bussi M, Trimarchi M. Role of anaesthesia in endoscopic and external dacryocystorhinostomy: a meta-analysis of 3282 cases. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2022;32(1):66-74. doi:10.1177/11206721211035616. PMID: 34318721.
Medical Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read here.
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