Skip to main content
Home

Search


NEI on Social Media | Search A-Z | en español | Text size S M L
  • About NEI
    • NEI Research Accomplishments
    • Budget and Congress
    • About the NEI Director
    • History of the NEI
    • NEI 50th Anniversary
    • NEI Women Scientists Advisory Committee (WSAC)
    • Board of Scientific Counselors
    • National Advisory Eye Council (NAEC)
    • Donating to the NEI

    Menu About NEI Block

     Contact Us

     Visiting the NIH Campus

    Mission Statement

    As part of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Eye Institute’s mission is to “conduct and support research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind.”

  • News & Events
    • Events Calendar
    • NEI Press Releases
    • News from NEI Grantees
    • Spokesperson bios
    • Statistics and Data
    • Resources for the media

    Pressroom Contacts

    Dustin Hays - Chief, Science Communication
    dustin.hays@nih.gov

    Kathryn DeMott, Media Relations
    Kathryn.DeMott@nih.gov

    NEI Office of Communications
    (301)496-5248

  • Health Information
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Clinical Studies
    • Spanish Language Information
    • Publications Catalog
    • Photos and Images
  • Grants and Funding
    • Extramural Research
    • Division of Extramural Science Programs
    • Division of Extramural Activities

    Extramural Contacts

    National Eye Institute
    Division of Extramural Research
    6700B Rockledge Dr., MSC 6914
    Bethesda, MD 20892
    (FedEx, UPS, and other courier services use: Bethesda MD 20817)
    301-451-2020

  • Research at NEI
    • Office of the Scientific Director
    • Office of the Clinical Director
    • Laboratories, Sections and Units
    • eyeGENE
    • Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications

    Office of the Scientific Director

    Sheldon S. Miller, Ph.D., Scientific Director
    David M. Schneeweis, Ph.D., Deputy Scientific Director

    Office of the Clinical Director

    Brian P. Brooks, M.D, Ph.D., Clinical Director
    Emily Y. Chew, M.D., Deputy Clinical Director

  • Education Programs
    • National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)
    • Diabetic Eye Disease Education Program
    • Glaucoma Education Program
    • Low Vision Education Program
    • Hispanic/Latino Program
    • Vision and Aging Program
    • African American Program
  • Training and Jobs
    • Jobs
    • NEI Summer Intern Program
    • Diversity In Vision Research & Ophthalmology (DIVRO)
    • Student Training Programs

    To search for current job openings visit HHS USAJobs

Home » FAQs Home » Cornea | Tears | Excess
Listen

FAQs Menu

  • FAQs Home
  • Español FAQs

Cornea | Tears | Excess

Submitted by admin on 06/16/10

There are several causes for excessive (too much) tearing.

The lacrimal system is composed of glands that make tears and a drainage system that collects them. Excessive tearing (lacrimation) and defective drainage of tears (epiphora) are associated with blurring of vision and constant discomfort caused by tears running down the cheek. In these instances, it is necessary to learn which of these problems is causing the excessive tearing.

Although dry eye syndrome most commonly is characterized by dryness of the cornea and conjunctiva due to inadequate tear production, it also can cause excessive tearing. Dry eye can affect the quality of the tears produced. In the normal eye the tear film is composed of three layers. The first is an oil layer that helps the liquid portion of the film adhere to the eye’s surface. If there is a malfunction in the oil gland, tears will not adhere and simply run out of the eye. Treatment of excessive tearing depends on the underlying cause.
For more information from other health sites, please visit the following webpages:

MedlinePlus, Watery Eyes
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003036.htm
Mayo Clinic, Watery Eyes
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/watery-eyes/MY01320
For information from the Nationa Eye Institute on dry eye, please visit the following webpage:
Facts About Dry Eye
https://www.nei.nih.gov/health/dryeye/dryeye

  • NEI Home
  • Contact Us
  • A-Z Site Map
  • NEI on Social Media
  • Information in Spanish (Información en español)
  • Website, Social Media Policies and Other Important Links
  • NEI Employee Emergency Information
  • NEI Intranet (Employees Only)
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • The National Institutes of Health
  • USA.gov

*PDF files require the free Adobe® Reader® software for viewing.

Technical questions about this website can be addressed to the NEI Website Manager.