Acquired tear duct stenosis is a blockage or narrowing of the drainage channel that carries tears from the eye to the nose. It often causes watery eyes, irritation, and discharge, and the skin at the inner corner can feel sore. Adults are most affected, and symptoms can start after eye infections, nasal problems, injury, or inflammation. Treatment usually includes warm compresses, eyelid hygiene, and eyedrops, and many people need an in‑office dilation or a minor surgery to open the duct. The condition is not life-threatening, and most people with acquired tear duct stenosis improve with proper care.
Overview
Acquired tear duct stenosisSymptoms
Acquired tear duct stenosis often causes constant tearing, watery eyes, and blurry vision from tears. Many notice mucus or crusting, redness, and irritation near the inner corner. Some have recurrent conjunctivitis or pain and swelling along the nose.
Outlook and prognosis
Most people with acquired tear duct stenosis improve with treatment, ranging from warm compresses and drops to a brief procedure to open the duct. Symptoms often ease quickly once drainage is restored. Recurrence can happen, but follow‑up care helps prevent setbacks.
Causes and risk factors
Acquired tear duct stenosis often follows inflammation or scarring from infections, chronic sinus or nasal disease, allergy, or trauma/surgery. Risks increase with age, smoking, and long-term eye drops. Radiation, certain chemotherapy, and autoimmune disorders can also narrow drainage pathways.
Genetic influences
Genetics play little role in acquired tear duct stenosis; it usually results from aging, infections, inflammation, trauma, or prior surgery. Rarely, inherited anatomical tendencies may increase susceptibility. Family history is generally not a major risk factor.
Diagnosis
Doctors review watery eye symptoms and examine the eyelids and tear openings. Diagnosis of Acquired tear duct stenosis is usually confirmed with tear duct irrigation or a dye test; imaging or nasal endoscopy is reserved for unclear cases or pre-surgery.
Treatment and drugs
Acquired tear duct stenosis is managed by easing irritation and reopening tear flow. Treatments may include warm compresses, eyelid hygiene, short courses of antibiotic or steroid drops for inflammation, and tear duct procedures like dilation, probing, stenting, or dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR).
Symptoms
Watery eyes that blur the page or streak makeup can make errands or screen time frustrating. Acquired tear duct stenosis happens when the drainage channel from the eye narrows, so tears back up instead of flowing into the nose. Early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis often include constant tearing and sticky buildup along the lashes. Symptoms vary from person to person and can change over time.
In acquired tear duct stenosis, tears don’t drain normally, so they spill over the eyelids. You may find yourself wiping your eyes often, especially in wind or cold air. The constant tearing can leave the skin damp.
A film of tears can smear the view, making print or screens look foggy. Blinking helps briefly, but the blur often returns until the tears clear. Driving or reading may take more effort.
Sticky discharge can collect along the lashes, especially after sleep. You might wake with lids stuck together and need warm water to loosen the crusts. The discharge can be clear, white, or yellow.
The white of the eye can look pink or irritated from standing tears. Burning or a gritty feeling may come and go. Rubbing can make the redness worse.
How people usually first notice Acquired tear duct stenosis?
People often first notice acquired tear duct stenosis when one eye waters constantly, even indoors or without wind, and tears may spill down the cheek. You might also see mild redness at the inner corner, crusting on the lashes after sleep, or feel a tender spot near the side of the nose, sometimes with mucus discharge, especially during colds or allergies. Doctors are usually alerted by this “always-watery eye” pattern and confirm the first signs of acquired tear duct stenosis by gently testing tear drainage and checking for blockage.
Types of Acquired tear duct stenosis
Acquired tear duct stenosis can affect daily comfort in small but persistent ways—itchy, watery eyes on windy days, makeup smudging, or repeated eye infections after colds. Symptoms don’t always look the same for everyone. Doctors often describe types based on where the drainage slows or blocks, and whether infections keep coming back. When people search for types of acquired tear duct stenosis, they’re often asking how upper versus lower drainage pathways feel different and what repeated infections might mean.
Punctal narrowing
The eyelid opening is tighter than normal, leading to constant tearing and irritation. You may notice tears pooling at the eyelid edge, especially outdoors or in cold wind. Mild redness at the corner of the eye can show up after long days.
Canalicular stenosis
The small channels inside the eyelid narrow, so tears drain slowly and well up on the lash line. People may feel a gritty sensation or see stringy mucus, especially in the morning. Glasses wearers often notice smears from frequent wiping.
Nasolacrimal duct block
The drainage tube into the nose narrows or blocks, causing steady tearing and pressure near the side of the nose. Bending forward or going outside makes watering worse. Some develop swelling between the eye and nose when infections flare.
Functional obstruction
The pathway is open but doesn’t pump tears well because of eyelid laxity or scarring. Tearing is worse when reading or using screens, then eases after blinking fully or looking up. Nighttime dryness can alternate with daytime overflow.
Recurrent infection pattern
Repeated infections inflame and tighten the ducts over time, leading to painful swelling and pus at the inner corner. Symptoms often follow colds or sinus infections and may briefly improve with drops before returning. Over time, the cycle makes tearing more constant.
What genetics can tell you about symptoms
Some people with certain HLA gene types (like HLA-B27) are more prone to inflammation that can narrow tear ducts, leading to watery eyes, irritation, and recurrent eye infections. Variants affecting collagen or wound-healing genes may increase scarring, causing tearing, redness, and swelling.
Causes and risk factors
Acquired tear duct stenosis often follows swelling, scarring, or injury in the tear drainage pathway.
Common risk factors for acquired tear duct stenosis include chronic sinus disease or allergies, ongoing eye infections, and prior surgery or trauma around the eyes or nose.
Risk is higher with older age and in women, and it may also occur after radiation therapy, radioactive iodine, or certain chemotherapy.
Long-term use of some glaucoma eye drops and smoking or polluted air can add to the blockage risk.
Doctors distinguish between risk factors you can change and those you can’t.
Environmental and biological risk factors
Acquired tear duct stenosis often develops when lining tissues along the tear drainage pathway swell or scar over time. These risks can come from inside the body and from the world around you. Doctors often group risks into internal (biological) and external (environmental). Knowing these risks can help you notice early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis sooner and seek care.
The bony tear duct channel is typically narrower in women, leaving less room if swelling occurs. This natural anatomy makes acquired tear duct stenosis more likely over time.
With age, tissues can become drier and more easily irritated, and the drainage opening can narrow. These changes raise the chance of acquired tear duct stenosis.
Long-standing swelling in the nose or sinuses can spread to the duct opening in the nose. Repeated swelling and healing can leave small scars that narrow the outflow path and lead to acquired tear duct stenosis.
Ongoing eyelid or eye surface irritation can scar the tiny openings where tears start to drain. Over time, this can progress downstream and contribute to tear duct narrowing.
Genetic risk factors
Acquired tear duct stenosis is most often linked to inflammation or scarring, but certain inherited traits can raise someone’s baseline risk. Family patterns in the size of the bony tear canal and the way tissues heal can make the duct more prone to narrowing over time. Genes that influence immune responses may also shape susceptibility when autoimmune conditions are present. Risk is not destiny—it varies widely between individuals.
Narrow duct anatomy: Some people inherit a naturally narrower tear drainage channel. This smaller space leaves less room for the lining to swell before it closes down. Early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis may show up sooner in families with this anatomy.
Midface bone shape: The shape of the nose and midface bones, which is strongly inherited, can influence the angle and width of the tear duct. Certain patterns make it easier for the duct to kink or pinch with normal tissue changes over time. This structural setup can tilt risk higher even without other problems.
Autoimmune predisposition: A family tendency toward autoimmune conditions can raise the chance of inflammation in the tear duct lining. Genes steering immune activity may heighten scarring after minor swelling, setting the stage for acquired tear duct stenosis. This can gradually limit tear flow.
Scarring tendency: Some people inherit a stronger tendency to form thick or fibrous scars. When healing is brisk, the tear duct lining can tighten and shrink more than usual. Over months to years, that extra scarring can lead to acquired tear duct stenosis.
Rare genetic syndromes: Certain rare syndromes that affect facial development or mucous membranes can involve the tear drainage system. The duct may be smaller, misshapen, or lined with tissue that scars easily. In these settings, acquired narrowing is more likely across the lifespan.
Ancestry-linked anatomy: Inherited craniofacial traits tied to ancestry can influence the bony canal’s diameter. Groups with generally narrower canals may see higher baseline risk, though individual risk varies widely. Family features often matter more than broad group labels.
Lifestyle risk factors
Acquired tear duct stenosis is influenced by daily habits that affect eyelids, the ocular surface, and nasal passages. The key lifestyle risk factors for acquired tear duct stenosis relate to inflammation, infection risk, and mechanical irritation. Understanding the lifestyle risk factors for acquired tear duct stenosis can help you adjust routines that impact tear drainage.
Tobacco or nicotine aerosols inflame the eyelid margins and nasal mucosa, raising the chance of scarring in tear drainage pathways. Smoking is linked with dry eye and blepharitis that can narrow the puncta and worsen obstruction.
Liner placed on the waterline and waterproof products can migrate into the puncta and ducts, causing blockage and chronic irritation. Repeated exposure may trigger inflammation that contributes to stenosis over time.
Harsh rubbing or incomplete removal leaves residue that irritates the lid margin and puncta. Gentle, thorough cleansing lowers chronic inflammation that can lead to narrowing.
Poor hand and lens hygiene increases conjunctival infections that can scar near the tear puncta and canaliculi. Meticulous cleaning and replacing lenses as directed reduces infection-related obstruction.
Risk prevention
Small daily steps can lower the chance of tear duct narrowing caused by irritation, infection, or injury. Acquired tear duct stenosis often follows repeated inflammation, so gentle eye and nose care matters. Prevention is about lowering risk, not eliminating it completely. Spotting early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis—like constant tearing, sticky discharge, or eyelid crusting—can help you seek care before swelling leads to scarring.
Clean your eyelids and lashes daily with warm water and a gentle, non-irritating cleanser. This reduces oil, debris, and bacteria that can inflame the tear ducts. A warm compress for a few minutes can help loosen crusts.
Wash hands before handling lenses and follow the full cleaning and replacement schedule. Sleeping in lenses or stretching wear time raises the risk of eye infections that can lead to blockage. Replace cases regularly to cut down on germs.
Remove eye makeup every night to avoid buildup along the lid margins. Replace mascaras and liners every 3–6 months to reduce bacteria. Avoid sharing makeup to prevent infections.
Manage itchy, watery eyes with approved drops, cool compresses, and avoiding triggers. Rubbing the eyes can irritate the ducts and eyelids, increasing swelling over time. Ask about allergy treatment if symptoms are frequent.
Transmission
If you’re wondering how Acquired tear duct stenosis is transmitted, it isn’t—this condition does not pass from person to person and is not contagious. It develops when the tear drainage channel narrows or scars over time, often after ongoing eye or nasal inflammation, sinus problems, injury, prior surgery, age-related changes, or, less often, certain medicines or radiation. Eye or sinus infections themselves may be contagious, but the scarring that leads to Acquired tear duct stenosis is a noninfectious after-effect. It is not inherited.
When to test your genes
Consider genetic testing if you have repeated tear duct narrowing without clear causes, especially alongside other unexplained issues like recurrent kidney, ear, or facial anomalies. Testing may help if multiple relatives have similar eye or tear duct problems, suggesting an inherited pattern. Otherwise, routine genetic testing isn’t recommended for isolated, adult-onset cases.
Diagnosis
Watery, irritated eyes that keep tearing or feel sticky often prompt the first visit. Understanding how Acquired tear duct stenosis is diagnosed can make the process clearer. Early and accurate diagnosis can help you plan ahead with confidence. Your eye doctor will look for common causes of tearing and check whether the drainage pathway is narrowed or blocked.
Your provider asks when tearing started, whether it’s one or both eyes, and what makes it better or worse. This helps separate tear overproduction from poor tear drainage.
The eyelids, skin, and the small tear openings at the lid edge are examined. Redness, swelling, or crusting can point toward narrowing or infection along the drainage pathway.
A microscope with a bright light lets the doctor inspect the tear openings and lining of the eye. This shows irritation, scarring, or signs of blockage that aren’t obvious to the naked eye.
A safe orange dye is placed in the eye to see how quickly tears drain away. Slow clearance suggests narrowing or blockage of the tear duct system.
Stages of Acquired tear duct stenosis
Acquired tear duct stenosis does not have defined progression stages. Symptoms usually relate to how much the drainage pathway is narrowed or blocked, which can fluctuate rather than move through set phases. Early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis can include constant tearing that runs down the cheek, a sticky feeling at the inner corner, or more frequent eye infections. Different tests may be suggested to help confirm the problem, such as a careful eye exam, a quick dye test to see how fast tears drain, and gentle flushing of the duct; imaging is used if the diagnosis remains unclear.
Outlook and prognosis
Looking ahead can feel daunting, but most people with acquired tear duct stenosis do well once the cause is diagnosed and treated. The condition itself isn’t life-threatening, and mortality isn’t a concern, but untreated blockage can lead to repeat eye infections, eyelid irritation, and blurred vision from constant tearing. Many people ask, “What does this mean for my future?”, and the answer usually depends on how narrow the duct is, whether infections are present, and if there are triggers like allergies, sinus disease, or previous eye surgery. With ongoing care, many people maintain comfortable, clear vision and return to daily routines without constant tearing.
Understanding the prognosis can guide planning and help set expectations around healing time and the chance of symptoms returning. Early care can make a real difference, especially if you notice early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis such as persistent tearing, discharge, or tenderness at the inner corner of the eye. Lubricating drops, warm compresses, and addressing irritants may ease mild cases; for persistent blockage, in‑office dilation or a brief surgery to create a new drainage pathway (often called DCR) has high success rates. Recurrence can happen, particularly when inflammation or scarring continues, but most people improve significantly after the right procedure and follow-up.
Everyone’s journey looks a little different. Recovery after procedures typically spans days to a few weeks, with temporary bruising or nasal stuffiness; your eye team will review activity limits and infection precautions. Long-term outlook is best when triggers are managed—treating sinus issues, controlling allergies, and avoiding smoke or eye irritants lowers the risk of repeat blockage. Talk with your doctor about what your personal outlook might look like, including success rates for any recommended procedure and how to spot warning signs of infection early.
Long-term effects
Acquired tear duct stenosis can lead to ongoing watery eyes, frequent crusting, and occasional infections that come and go over years. For many, this affects reading, screens, driving in bright light, and outdoor time on windy days. Some people also notice tender swelling near the inner corner that flares during colds or allergy seasons. Doctors may track these changes over years to see how stable or bothersome they become.
Ongoing watering is the most common long-term effect. In acquired tear duct stenosis, tears can overflow down the cheek even when you’re not crying. This often worsens outdoors or in cold wind.
Blocked drainage can let germs build up, leading to red, sore flares near the inner corner. These infections may return over time, sometimes with warmth and tenderness.
Constant wetness can chafe the eyelid and cheek skin. People may notice redness, itching, or scaling where tears sit on the skin.
Tear film pooling can blur or smear vision, especially for near work. Many notice frequent blinking or wiping to clear the view.
How is it to live with Acquired tear duct stenosis?
Living with acquired tear duct stenosis often means dealing with eyes that water at inconvenient times—cold wind, bright light, or even when you’re just reading—along with a gritty, irritated feeling and occasional redness or mild eyelid swelling. For many, makeup smudges easily, contact lenses feel less comfortable, and repeated wiping can leave the skin sore; some may also notice more frequent eye infections that need drops or warm compresses. Daily routines adapt a bit—carrying tissues, using lubricating drops, and planning around follow-up visits—while family or coworkers may simply need to understand why your eyes look teary even when you’re not upset. With treatment options and simple home care, most people find a workable rhythm that keeps vision clear and discomfort manageable.
Treatment and drugs
Acquired tear duct stenosis is usually treated stepwise, starting with measures that improve tear drainage and soothe irritation. Warm compresses, gentle lid massage, and short courses of lubricating or anti‑inflammatory eye drops can ease burning, tearing, and recurrent redness; doctors sometimes prescribe antibiotic drops if infections keep returning. If blockage persists, an eye specialist may flush the duct (irrigation) or pass a thin probe to open it, and silicone stents can be placed temporarily to keep the passage open while it heals. For more severe or long‑standing narrowing, a minor surgery called dacryocystorhinostomy creates a new drainage route from the tear sac to the nose, often done endoscopically with a high success rate. Your doctor can help weigh the pros and cons of each option based on symptom severity, exam findings, and how often infections occur.
Non-drug treatment
Acquired tear duct stenosis can make daily life soggy—glasses smear, skin gets sore from wiping, and vision may blur from constant tearing. Non-drug treatments range from simple home care to minimally invasive procedures that open the drain. Early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis, like watery eyes in wind or cold, are often a cue to start with the basics. Ask your doctor which non-drug options might be most effective for your eyes.
Applying a warm, clean cloth over closed lids for 5–10 minutes can loosen thick oils and ease tender skin. The warmth may help the opening drain a bit better.
Gentle daily lid scrubs remove crusts and debris that can narrow the tiny openings at the lid edge. Cleaner lids can reduce irritation and tearing from acquired tear duct stenosis.
Light, downward strokes along the inner corner of the eye may help move fluid through a partially narrowed drain. This is simple to try at home, though results vary in adults.
Using a humidifier, wearing wraparound glasses in wind, and avoiding smoke or strong air currents can cut reflex tearing. These small changes often make watering from acquired tear duct stenosis less disruptive.
Your genes may have an impact on how drugs work for you
Some people process tear-duct–related medicines differently because of gene variants that change how fast enzymes in the liver activate or clear drugs. This can affect response to topical steroids or antibiotics and side‑effects, so personalized dosing or alternatives may be considered.
Pharmacological treatments
Medicines can ease irritation, swelling, and infection linked to acquired tear duct stenosis, but they usually don’t reopen a narrowed tear duct. Early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis, like watery eyes and irritation, may improve with drops and sprays, yet surgery is often needed if blockage persists. Alongside drug therapy, warm compresses and procedures like dilation or stenting remain important. Your doctor will tailor choices based on whether you have inflammation, allergies, or signs of infection.
Artificial tears such as carboxymethylcellulose or hyaluronic acid can soothe burning and gritty feelings from stagnant tears. They can also reduce reflex tearing by calming surface irritation. Use preservative-free options if you need drops many times a day.
Short courses of moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, or trimethoprim–polymyxin B can treat bacterial overgrowth when there’s discharge or crusting. These help clear surface infection but don’t fix the underlying blockage. Avoid repeated courses without medical advice.
Loteprednol or fluorometholone may calm inflammation around the tear duct opening, which can lessen swelling and tearing. These are used short term under close supervision because they can raise eye pressure. Ask your doctor why a specific drug was recommended for you.
Tobramycin–dexamethasone or similar combinations may be used briefly if there’s both inflammation and suspected infection. They target two problems at once but require careful follow-up. Your clinician will limit duration to reduce side effects.
Genetic influences
People often ask whether acquired tear duct stenosis is hereditary or whether there are genetic causes of acquired tear duct stenosis. Not every person with a family history will develop it, and for most, genes are not the main cause. Most cases develop over time from local inflammation or scarring—after sinus infections, nose or eye injuries, certain medicines, or radiation treatment to the head or neck. Still, genetics can nudge risk indirectly: inherited facial traits may influence the width of the tear drainage channel, and some people naturally scar more or are prone to autoimmune inflammation. These tendencies don’t cause a blockage on their own, but they can make the duct more vulnerable when other triggers appear. If several relatives have had tear duct problems, share that history with your eye doctor so they can factor family background into your care plan.
Is Acquired tear duct stenosis genetic?
Genetics play little role in acquired tear duct stenosis; it usually results from aging, infections, inflammation, trauma, or prior surgery. Rarely, inherited anatomical tendencies may increase susceptibility. Family history is generally not a major risk factor.
Pharmacogenetics—how genetics influence drug effects
Genetics doesn’t cause acquired tear duct stenosis, but it can shape how your body handles the medicines used during treatment and recovery. Genes can influence how quickly you break down certain pain medicines such as codeine or tramadol; some people get little relief, while others feel side effects at standard doses. If steroid eye drops are prescribed to calm swelling, a small group of people are “steroid responders” who develop higher eye pressure, and inherited factors can increase that risk, so your eye doctor may check pressure more often. During sedation or general anesthesia for procedures like dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), rare genetic differences can affect how you react to certain muscle relaxants or anesthetics, so sharing any family history of anesthesia problems is important. If oral anti-inflammatory drugs are used, genetic variants can also change how you clear common NSAIDs, which may affect dose and side-effect risk. Let your care team know about past medication reactions so they can tailor treatment for acquired tear duct stenosis; in select situations, pharmacogenetic testing may help guide safer choices.
Interactions with other conditions
Acquired tear duct stenosis often shows up alongside chronic nose or eyelid problems, which can shape how symptoms feel day to day. Ongoing sinus infections, allergies, or nasal polyps can swell nearby tissues and narrow the drainage pathway, making tearing and eye discharge more noticeable. Someone might notice their symptoms flare when another condition is active. Eyelid inflammation (blepharitis), rosacea, or dry eye can change the tear film and, combined with poor drainage, raise the chance of repeated conjunctivitis or painful tear sac infections (dacryocystitis).
Some autoimmune conditions that inflame the nose and eyes, such as sarcoidosis, can involve the tear drainage system and make stenosis more likely or more stubborn. Diabetes or a weakened immune system can increase infection risk and slow healing after tear duct procedures. Certain medicines, including long-term use of some eye drops or specific cancer treatments, have been linked to scarring in the drainage channels, so coordinated care with your eye doctor and other specialists is important.
How genes can cause diseases
Humans have more than 20,000 genes, each carrying out one or a few specific functions in the body. One gene instructs the body to digest lactose from milk, another tells the body how to build strong bones and another prevents the body's cells from beginning to multiply uncontrollably and developing into cancer. As all of these genes combined are the building instructions for our body, a defect in one of these genes can have severe health consequences.
Through decades of genetic research, we know the genetic code of any healthy/functional human gene. We have also identified that in certain positions on a gene, some individuals may have a different genetic letter from the one you have. We call these hotspots "Genetic Variations" or "Variants" in short. In many cases, studies have been able to show that having the genetic letter "G" in the position makes you healthy, but having the letter "A" in the same position disrupts the gene function and causes a disease. Genopedia allows you to view these variants in genes and summarizes all that we know from scientific research, which genetic letters (Genotype) have good or bad consequences on your health or on your traits.
History
Families and neighbors have long noticed when someone’s eye watered all the time, even indoors or on calm days. A grandmother kept tissues in every pocket; a shopkeeper blinked through a constant tear on one side. Community stories often described the condition as “a plugged tear duct,” and people tried warm cloths or gentle massage long before doctors named it.
First described in the medical literature as narrowing of the tear outflow pathway, acquired tear duct stenosis came into focus as eye doctors realized that not all watery eyes were caused by allergies or infections. Early reports noted adults developing tearing after sinus trouble, longstanding eyelid irritation, or exposure to smoke and dust at work. Over time, descriptions became more precise, separating tearing from overproduction of tears versus poor drainage through a narrowed duct.
As medical science evolved, surgeons mapping the small canals in the eyelid and the nasolacrimal duct showed how swelling, scarring, or age-related tissue changes can shrink the channel. In some eras, harsh antiseptics and chronic conjunctivitis were common and likely contributed to acquired tear duct stenosis. Later, with cleaner water and better eye care, patterns shifted, and clinicians began to see more cases linked to sinus surgery, nasal fractures, or certain cancer treatments that can irritate the lining of the duct.
From early written records to modern studies, doctors also noticed that tearing could cycle with the seasons when colds and sinus infections were frequent. They learned to look for side-to-side differences and for signs like mucus at the inner corner of the eye, which suggested narrowing rather than simple dryness. Imaging and tiny endoscopes then allowed specialists to see exactly where the duct narrowed, turning guesswork into targeted care.
In recent decades, awareness has grown that acquired tear duct stenosis may follow chronic eyelid inflammation, long-term use of some eye drops, or exposure to environmental irritants. This helped shift treatment from repeating antibiotics to addressing the blockage itself. Minimally invasive procedures and refined surgical techniques now aim to reopen or bypass the narrowed passage, improving comfort and reducing infections.
Understanding has changed, but the everyday impact people feel—blurred vision from constant tearing, skin irritation under the eye, or recurrent infections—remains the same thread through its history. Knowing the condition’s history helps explain why today’s care starts with careful examination of the tear drainage system and why early symptoms of acquired tear duct stenosis deserve attention rather than being written off as “just watery eyes.”