Why Are My Eyes Watering All the Time?

If you've been using lubricating drops and warm compresses but your eyes are still watering, you may be dealing with a tear drainage issue—not dry eyes.

Normally, tears drain through small openings in the inner corners of your eyelids, flowing into a tiny channel that leads to your nose. This process happens with each blink. However, if any part of this drainage system becomes narrowed or blocked, tears can overflow, making it feel like your eyes are constantly watering.

Introducing Lacrimal Lavage

We’re now offering lacrimal lavage—a quick, in-office procedure that can help assess, and in some cases clear, partial blockages in the tear drainage system. It’s ideal for patients experiencing excessive tearing (also known as epiphora) due to obstructed tear ducts.

What Does the Procedure Involve?

Lacrimal lavage is usually quick and well tolerated. After numbing the area with anaesthetic drops, your optometrist will gently insert a thin, blunt probe into the tear duct opening. A sterile saline solution is then flushed through the drainage pathway.

If the system is clear, the fluid will pass through to your nose and throat—you may even taste the salty solution.
If there’s a blockage, the fluid may resist flowing or may backflow from the eye, helping us pinpoint the issue.

In some cases, the flushing action itself may relieve the obstruction and restore normal tear drainage. Many patients notice an improvement shortly after the procedure.