Why Do My Eyes Keep Watering? When Tearing May Need an Oculoplastic Surgeon

Watery eyes can be more than a minor annoyance when they keep coming back. Constant tearing can blur your vision, run down your cheeks, irritate the skin around your eyes, or make it look like you’re crying when you aren’t. The cause isn’t always obvious, either. Sometimes the eye is making too many tears. Other times, tears can’t drain the way they should.

Why Do My Eyes Keep Watering?

Excessive tearing, also called epiphora, can happen when your eyes overproduce tears or when the tear drainage system isn’t working correctly. Dry eye, allergies, eyelid inflammation, corneal irritation, eyelid position changes, narrowed tear drainage openings, and blocked tear ducts can all play a role. That’s why a focused eye exam matters before assuming you need a specific procedure.

Can Dry Eye Cause Watery Eyes?

Yes. Dry eye can sometimes trigger reflex tearing. When the eye surface gets irritated, your body may respond by producing extra tears, even though those tears may not fix the underlying dryness. If your eyes feel watery, gritty, burning, or tired, the source of the tearing may start at the eye surface instead of the tear duct.

When Tearing Is a Drainage Problem

Your tears normally drain through tiny openings near the inner corners of your eyelids. These openings lead into a drainage system that carries tears toward the nose. If one part of that system narrows or becomes blocked, tears may overflow onto the eyelid or cheek.

At AestheticEye, our board-certified oculoplastic surgeons evaluate excessive tearing to find where the problem starts. If the punctum, the small drainage opening in the eyelid, is narrowed or blocked, punctoplasty may help widen that opening. If the blockage is deeper in the nasolacrimal duct, DCR surgery may be discussed.

What Is DCR Surgery?

Dacryocystorhinostomy, usually called DCR surgery, creates a new pathway for tears to drain into the nose. This procedure bypasses a blocked nasolacrimal duct so tears can move through a new drainage route. AestheticEye offers traditional external DCR and endoscopic DCR, depending on the patient’s anatomy and needs. In some cases, a small stent may be placed during healing to help keep the new pathway open.

Why See an Oculoplastic Surgeon for Chronic Tearing?

Tearing problems can involve the eyelids, tear ducts, eye surface, and nearby facial anatomy. That makes oculoplastic training especially relevant. Dr. Ginger Henson and Dr. Jonathan Pargament are board-certified oculoplastic surgeons serving patients from Springboro, Cincinnati, and Dayton. They can evaluate whether your tearing is related to irritation, eyelid position, punctal narrowing, a blocked tear duct, or another concern.

Get Help for Chronic Watery Eyes in Springboro

If your eyes keep watering, especially on one side, or if tearing causes blurred vision, skin irritation, discharge, or repeated infections, it may be time for an evaluation. Contact AestheticEye in Springboro to schedule a consultation and learn what may be causing your watery eyes.