Eye tearing and drainage problems can have many causes. Tearing can result from over production of tears, or inability of the normal tears to drain out of the eye through the normal drainage ducts and pathway. Any abnormal positioning of the eyelids can also cause tearing, as the normal anatomy is required to direct the tears through the drainage pathway. Nerve damage is also a possible cause of tearing, as the physiologic tear pump mechanism may be impaired in those situations.
Interestingly, people with dry eyes often complain of tearing. This occurs as the backup tear production system of the eye will produce an overabundance of tears in an attempt to protect an eye that seems to be drying out.
About Endoscopic Tear Duct Surgery
If your ophthalmologist identifies tearing or drainage problems that require intervention, they may perform tear duct surgery exclusively using an endoscopic technique rather than an external or facial approach. The goal of endoscopic tear duct surgery is to bypass the obstructed nasolacrimal duct and allow for tear drainage into the nose more easily. The endoscopic tear duct surgery is often preferred as it avoids any scarring and minimizes or eliminates and pain or discomfort for patients.