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Watery and sticky eyes in a child are common concerns that bring parents to an eye clinic. In many children the cause is straightforward and the outlook excellent, but persistent watering always deserves proper assessment. The range of causes is wide, from congenital blockage of the tear duct in infants, to allergic eye disease, VKC, blepharitis, styes, chalazion, molluscum and conjunctivitis in children of all ages. Treatment depends entirely on getting the diagnosis right. You do not need a GP referral to book a consultation.
If a young infant has watery eyes alongside sensitivity to light (photophobia) and a large or hazy-looking cornea, this combination must be assessed urgently. These can be signs of congenital glaucoma, which is sight-threatening and requires prompt treatment. Do not wait for a routine appointment if these signs are present.
If you suspect congenital glaucoma or dacryocystitis in your child, contact us straight away for an urgent assessment.
Same-day appointments are often available, and you will always be seen for urgent eye care concerns within 36 hours (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm). You can visit your local accident and emergency department out of hours. Find out more about urgent eye care →
You can book a private consultation at Clinica London directly, without a GP referral. If your child is covered by private medical insurance, your insurer may require a GP referral letter before they will authorise treatment. We recommend checking your policy before booking. Our team is happy to help with any queries.
A consultation for watery eyes is a thorough and unhurried assessment. For infants with suspected CNLDO, the appointment includes a demonstration of the correct massage technique and clear guidance on what to expect. Where a procedure is recommended, Miss Olver will explain the options, what each involves, and the expected outcomes.
Miss Olver will take a careful history including when the watering started, whether it affects one or both eyes, the nature of any discharge, any previous treatment including massage, any episodes of dacryocystitis, and any relevant birth or medical history. Associated symptoms such as itching, redness or photophobia are also explored.
The eyelids, inner canthal area, puncta and ocular surface are examined carefully. The lacrimal sac area is palpated to check for swelling or reflux. Where relevant, the fluorescein dye disappearance test is used to assess tear drainage. Miss Olver will take photographs of the lacrimal duct openings and any swelling or dye retention, which is especially useful when the child is a little wriggly and will not keep still for long.
Miss Olver will explain her findings clearly and discuss the most likely diagnosis and recommended management. For infants with CNLDO, she will demonstrate the massage technique and advise on when to return. Where a procedure is recommended, she will explain the options, what each involves, and the expected outcomes.
Miss Jane Olver is Clinica London's Medical Director and a consultant ophthalmic surgeon with specialist expertise in lacrimal conditions in children and adults. She is a leading UK authority on endoscopic endonasal DCR (endo-DCR), having pioneered the technique in the UK.
She has extensive experience in the full range of treatments for nasolacrimal duct obstruction, from massage guidance in infants through to endoscopic and external DCR surgery. She is known for her thorough, caring approach with children and their families.
Clinica London's founder and Medical Director. Specialist lacrimal and oculoplastic surgeon and a leading UK authority on endo-DCR, with extensive experience treating blocked tear ducts in children of all ages.
All fees are for private consultations and procedures at 140 Harley Street and associated surgical facilities. Surgical fees are provided as a full written estimate following your consultation.
| Appointment / Procedure | Fee |
|---|---|
| New patient consultation with Miss Jane Olver (not including diagnostic tests) | £300–£400 |
| Follow-up consultation | From £275–£300 |
| Nasolacrimal duct probing and syringing (under general anaesthetic) | Fee on consultation |
| Nasolacrimal duct intubation (under general anaesthetic) | Fee on consultation |
| Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR, external or endonasal) | Fee on consultation |
From a sticky eye in a newborn to surgical treatment for complex lacrimal obstruction, Miss Jane Olver provides expert, compassionate, experienced care.
Book a children's watery eye consultationEpiphora simply means overflow of tears onto the cheek, and it can have many different causes. In children, the most common cause by far is congenital obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct (CNLDO), but there are several other causes that must be considered, particularly when the picture is not straightforward and depending on the age of the child.
The nasolacrimal duct is the channel that drains tears from the inner corner of the eye down into the nasal cavity. In some babies, this channel is not fully open at birth, most commonly because of a thin membrane at the lower end (the valve of Hasner) that has not yet opened. This is the most common cause of persistent watery and sticky eyes in infants.
CNLDO affects approximately 6 per cent of newborns and typically presents in the first weeks of life with persistent watering of one or both eyes, often with a sticky or mucoid discharge. The outlook is generally very good: around 90 per cent of cases resolve spontaneously with massage by the end of the first year of life. Where this does not happen, effective treatment options are available.
In some infants with CNLDO, a dacryocoele or mucocoele (a cyst-like swelling of the lacrimal sac that may or may not become infected) develops at birth or in the first weeks of life, appearing as a bluish-grey swelling just below and medial to the inner corner of the eye. These require prompt treatment as they carry a risk of becoming infected (acute dacryocystitis).
Dacryocystitis is an acute infection of the dilated lacrimal sac, presenting as a red, hot, tender swelling at the inner corner of the lower eyelid; the sac is full of infected mucus and the sac wall is extremely inflamed. In infants, this requires urgent assessment, antibiotic treatment and sometimes drainage. Recurrent episodes indicate a persistent obstruction and may require endoscopic surgical treatment.
If you suspect dacryocystitis in your child, contact us straight away for an urgent assessment.
Infective conjunctivitis is a common cause of a sticky, watery or discharging eye in children of all ages. The eye is typically red and uncomfortable alongside the discharge. In neonates (babies in the first month of life), a discharging eye requires careful assessment, as neonatal conjunctivitis can have more serious causes including chlamydial or gonococcal infection.
In older children, conjunctivitis may be bacterial or viral, and can be associated with blepharitis, styes or molluscum contagiosum affecting the eyelids. Read more about conjunctivitis treatment.
Allergic conjunctivitis is a common cause of watery, itchy eyes in school-age children, often seasonal (pollen) or perennial (house dust mite, pet dander). The watering is typically bilateral, associated with itching and redness, and often occurs alongside other allergic symptoms.
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a more severe form of ocular allergy predominantly affecting boys in childhood and adolescence, causing intense itching, photophobia, ropy mucoid discharge and, in severe cases, corneal involvement. VKC requires specialist management with prescription drops under the care of a paediatric specialist.
Blepharitis, styes and chalazion are surprisingly common in children who often develop quite inflamed eyelids and eyes that may water too. These conditions have their own dedicated treatment pages: blepharitis, stye and chalazion (paediatric-specific pages do not yet exist for these conditions individually).
Other causes include epiblepharon (inturning of the lower eyelid lashes), and less commonly entropion or ectropion, as well as foreign bodies on the ocular surface and corneal abrasion. Molluscum contagiosum is also linked here for further reading. Congenital glaucoma is an important diagnosis not to miss in an infant with watering and light sensitivity, particularly if accompanied by a large or hazy-looking cornea.
The treatment for watery eyes in children depends entirely on the underlying cause. For nasolacrimal duct obstruction that has not resolved with massage, the full range of treatments below is available at Clinica London on Harley Street, with Miss Jane Olver advising on the most appropriate approach for your child, whatever the cause.
Probing is the standard treatment for CNLDO that has not resolved by around 12 to 15 months of age. Under a brief general anaesthetic, a fine metal probe is passed through the punctum and down through the nasolacrimal duct to break through the obstructing membrane. The duct is then syringed with saline to confirm patency. An endoscope placed just inside the nose confirms successful probing directly.
Probing is a short procedure, typically five to ten minutes, and children recover very quickly. Success rates are high for children under 24 months, with the majority achieving a permanent cure after a single probing.
Where simple probing has not achieved a permanent cure, intubation may rarely be recommended. This involves placing a fine silicone tube through the duct, which keeps the channel open while it heals and matures, then removed in a brief outpatient procedure. Intubation is performed under general anaesthetic and has good success rates where simple probing has been unsuccessful.
DCR creates a new drainage channel directly from the lacrimal sac into the nasal cavity, bypassing the blocked nasolacrimal duct entirely. It is the definitive treatment for recurrent or complex nasolacrimal obstruction, usually in children aged over five, where probing and intubation have not achieved a lasting cure.
DCR can be performed via an external approach or endonasally using an endoscope, with no external incision. Miss Jane Olver performs both approaches and will discuss which is most appropriate for your child.
Where watery eyes are caused by allergic conjunctivitis, the mainstay of treatment is topical antihistamine and mast cell stabiliser eye drops, combined with allergen avoidance where possible. For severe or refractory allergic eye disease, prescription drops may be considered under specialist supervision.
Where watery eyes are caused by eyelid conditions or infection, treatment is directed at the underlying condition, with the correct diagnosis always established first.
No GP referral needed. Speak to our team at 140 Harley Street.
Book a children's watery eye consultation
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