Epiphora - Diagnosing watering eyes

Your GP may refer you to an ophthalmologist for an examination if no obvious reason for your watering eye can be found.

An ophthalmologist is an eye care specialist. They can use special equipment to look for the cause of your watering eye.

Referral to an ophthalmologist

An ophthalmologist will look for blockages in your tear ducts, using local anaesthetic eye drops to help reduce any discomfort.

A probe may be inserted through narrow points on the inside corner of your eyelids (puncta) and into the narrow drainage channels on the inside of your eyelid (canaliculi) to determine whether they are blocked. Fluid may also be injected down into your tear duct to see whether it comes out normally.

Another test involves placing a drop of a special dye in each eye. If there is a significant amount left in your eyes after five minutes of normal blinking, your tear ducts may be blocked.

Sometimes scans of your tear ducts may be carried out. These can involve either injecting or placing special dyes into the tear ducts and then taking X-rays or other scans to help pinpoint the location of the blockage.