Differential Diagnosis for Left Eye Tears Alot
- Single most likely diagnosis
- Dry eye syndrome: This is the most common cause of excessive tearing, as the eye produces poor-quality tears, leading to irritation and overproduction of tears.
- Other Likely diagnoses
- Blepharitis: Inflammation of the eyelids can cause irritation, leading to excessive tearing.
- Conjunctivitis: Infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva can cause tearing, redness, and discharge.
- Entropion or ectropion: Abnormal positioning of the eyelids can cause tearing due to improper drainage or exposure of the eye.
- Nasolacrimal duct obstruction: Blockage of the tear duct can cause tearing, especially if the blockage is unilateral.
- Do Not Miss (ddxs that may not be likely, but would be deadly if missed.)
- Acute angle-closure glaucoma: A medical emergency that can cause severe eye pain, blurred vision, and excessive tearing.
- Orbital cellulitis: A serious infection that can cause swelling, redness, and tearing, and can lead to vision loss if not treated promptly.
- Sjögren's syndrome: An autoimmune disorder that can cause dry eye, but also other systemic symptoms, and can be associated with lymphoma.
- Rare diagnoses
- Lacrimal gland tumor: A rare tumor that can cause excessive tearing due to obstruction of the tear duct.
- Fifth cranial nerve palsy: A rare condition that can cause weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, leading to abnormal tearing.
- Raeder's syndrome: A rare condition that can cause tearing, facial pain, and ptosis (drooping eyelid) due to a lesion in the trigeminal nerve.