--- title: "Watering eyes and blocked tear ducts: Symptoms & Treatment" description: "Why eyes water, blocked tear ducts in babies and adults, and the treatments that help, reviewed by a consultant eye surgeon." url: https://healthanswers.co.uk/conditions/watering-eyes/ robots: noindex --- # Watering eyes and blocked tear ducts: Symptoms & Treatment Health A–Z Why eyes water, blocked tear ducts in babies and adults, and the treatments that help, reviewed by a consultant eye surgeon. Written by HealthAnswers editorial team Medically reviewed by [Mr Mohamed Mohyudin MBChB, FRCOphth](https://healthanswers.co.uk/our-doctors/mohamed-mohyudin/) · GMC 7039600 Reviewed 10 June 2026 ## Quick answer What are watering eyes and blocked tear ducts? Watering eyes happen when you make too many tears or your tears cannot drain away properly, often because the tear duct is blocked or narrowed. It is common in babies and in older adults. Many cases settle on their own or with simple measures, but a persistently blocked tear duct can be treated with a procedure or oculoplastic surgery to restore normal drainage. ## Who is this page for? This page is for people in the UK who want a plain-English overview of Watering eyes and blocked tear ducts, including when to seek help and what NHS care usually involves. It explains general information, not what is wrong with you personally. ## Who should skip this page? Skip this page if you need a diagnosis, a prescription, or emergency care. It cannot replace a GP, pharmacist, NHS 111 or 999. If you are in immediate danger, call 999; for urgent advice that is not life-threatening, call 111 in England, Scotland or Wales, or use your GP out-of-hours service in Northern Ireland. On this page 5 sections ## Key facts about watering eyes and blocked tear ducts - Watering eyes are caused by too many tears or poor tear drainage. - Blocked tear ducts are common in babies and often clear by age 1. - In adults, a narrowed tear duct can cause a constantly watering eye. - A persistent blockage can be treated with a procedure or surgery. ## What causes watering eyes? Tears keep the front of the eye healthy and then drain away through tiny channels at the inner corner of each eye into the nose. A watering eye happens when this balance is upset — either too many tears are made, or they cannot drain away properly. ## Too many tears Ironically, dry or irritated eyes often water, because the irritation triggers a flood of tears. Wind, allergies, an eyelash rubbing the eye, or an eyelid that turns in or out can all cause watering of this kind. ## Poor drainage If the tear-drainage channels are narrowed or blocked, tears spill over the lid instead of draining. This is common in babies, whose ducts are often not fully open at birth, and in older adults, where the ducts can narrow with age. ## Treatment Treatment depends on the cause. Babies usually need only gentle massage and time. In adults, options range from treating the underlying irritation to [oculoplastic and orbital surgery](https://healthanswers.co.uk/treatments/oculoplastic-surgery/) — such as an operation to create a new tear-drainage channel — when a blockage will not clear. ## When to seek help See a GP if watering is persistent or troublesome. Get **urgent** help for a painful, red, tender swelling at the inner corner of the eye, or for any change in your vision. ## ! When to see a GP about watering eyes and blocked tear ducts See a GP if a watering eye is persistent or affecting your daily life. Seek **urgent** advice the same day if there is pain, redness or a tender swelling at the inner corner of the eye near the nose — this can be an infection of the tear sac (dacryocystitis) — or if you have any change in your vision. ## Common questions about watering eyes and blocked tear ducts Why does my eye keep watering? Either your eye is making too many tears, often as a reaction to dryness, wind or irritation, or the tears are not draining away because the tear duct is narrowed or blocked. An eye specialist can work out which it is. Do babies' blocked tear ducts need treatment? Most blocked tear ducts in babies clear on their own by around their first birthday. Gentle massage and keeping the area clean can help. See a GP if the eye becomes red, swollen or repeatedly infected. How is a blocked tear duct treated in adults? If simple measures do not help, a blocked tear duct can be treated with a procedure to open the drainage system, or with an operation called a DCR that creates a new drainage channel. Both aim to stop the constant watering. Is a watering eye serious? Usually not, but a painful, red, swollen inner corner of the eye can mean the tear sac is infected and needs prompt treatment. Any change in vision should also be checked urgently. ## Sources - [NHS — Watering eyes](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/watering-eyes/)