Why my eye waters

Tear drain blockage

There are 3 areas where the tear drain can become blocked. Zone 1 (red) is the soft eyelid part of the drain, Zone 2 (blue) is the reservoir in the upper nose, and Zone 3 (green) is the tear duct that drains into the lower nose. During your consultation, a probe may be passed into the tear drain to locate the blockage, and then flushed with anaesthetic. This tear drain washout is minimally uncomfortable and may clear the blockage.

Tear pump failure

The tear pump fails most commonly due to nerve damage, eye rubbing or with age. Without a pump, tears will not flow into the nose. The severity of pump failure can be assessed after DCR surgery.

Treating watery eye

We follow 3 logical steps;

• Correct tear drain blockage
• Correct eyelid problems
• Correct tear pump failure