Why does my eye water constantly when I am not crying?

Because the tear no longer finds the drain. At the inner corner of the eyelid there is a tiny hole in the lower lid, the tear punctum — the entrance to the tear duct that runs to the nose. For it to do its job, it must sit against the eye and dip into the tear lake. If the eyelid margin tips outward, the punctum points into empty space, and the tear runs over the eyelid margin onto the cheek instead of draining away. There is a second cycle on top of that: the exposed surface dries out and the eye produces extra tears in defence — so it can be too wet and too dry at the same time. That is why drops alone bring no lasting peace here.

Does an ectropion have to be operated on, or is there another way?

That depends on what is bringing the lid outward. If it has slackened, or a scar is pulling on it — those are the two common forms — the eyelid margin can only be turned back surgically: no drop, no cream and no device tightens a slackened lid or releases the pull of a scar. It is different where a pronounced swelling, a lump on the eyelid margin or a severe inflammation of the eyelid margin pulls the lid down; that cause is then treated first, and the position can settle back to normal by itself. What makes the time until a procedure bearable is wetting during the day, an ointment or a gel for the night, careful lid hygiene and well-cared-for skin on the lower lid. Whether and when to operate is decided by the findings: if the eyelid margin stands away only slightly, the symptoms are mild and the cornea is unremarkable, it is fine to watch and to decide in your own time. If the surface dries out, if the eye is permanently irritated or if the lid no longer closes completely, waiting is the worse choice — then time is working against the eye.

Does health insurance pay for an ectropion operation?

As a rule, yes. An ectropion is a malposition with pathological significance — it impairs tear drainage, eyelid closure and the protection of the cornea. Where a doctor has indicated it, assessment and correction therefore go through basic health insurance; the deductible and co-payment apply as with any other procedure. If your insurer requires cost approval in advance, we submit the findings and photographic documentation before the procedure — the decision is made there, not by us. If you also want something purely aesthetic in the same procedure, that share is set out separately, is self-pay and is subject to VAT. What belongs to which we set down in writing beforehand.

How long does healing take after an ectropion operation?

The procedure itself is usually done as an outpatient under local anaesthetic and mostly takes less than an hour; you go home afterwards. The fine sutures are usually removed after about a week. Swelling and bruising are at their most marked in the first few days and subside over one to two weeks, often unequally between the sides. Office work is often possible again after a few days; sport, heavy lifting, sauna and the swimming pool are better put off for around two weeks, and eye make-up until the wound has closed. That the eye still waters in the first weeks is normal — the tear film and the drainage have to settle in again first.

What is the difference between an ectropion and an entropion?

The direction — and with it almost everything else. With an ectropion the eyelid margin tips outward, away from the eye: the inner side of the lid is exposed, the tear punctum loses contact with the tear lake, the eye overflows and dries out. With an entropion the eyelid margin turns inward, and then the lashes drag over the cornea — that hurts, scratches with every blink and can damage the surface of the cornea quickly. Both are eyelid malpositions, both are corrected surgically, but with different techniques. They can only be confused from the outside: at the slit lamp the difference is clear in seconds.

Eyelid malpositions

Ectropion: when the lower lid stands away and the eye waters constantly

'I spend the whole day wiping my cheek.' That is how most people describe it. The lower lid no longer sits against the eye but tips outward — and of all things, that is when the tear overflows instead of draining away. This is not a question of appearance: what lies exposed dries out, and the cornea is the most sensitive part of it.

Call now — have a watery eye assessed book an appointment online

What an ectropion is

With a ectropion the eyelid margin tips outward, away from the eye. It is almost always the lower lid that is affected: it no longer sits against the surface of the eyeball but stands away from it like a drawer that no longer quite shuts. That leaves the inner side of the lid exposed — the pink mucous membrane that is otherwise protected and permanently moist. You see it as a red strip along the margin of the lower lid.

The word comes from Greek and means no more than 'turned outward'; in German it is also called an outward rotation of the eyelid margin. In medical reports you read sometimes ectropion, sometimes ectropium — the same malposition, two spellings. In conversation most people simply say: 'the lid is drooping' or 'the eye is running'.

At the beginning the change is small and is therefore rarely recognised as a finding. At first it is usually only the inner end of the eyelid margin that comes away from the eye — exactly where the tear punctum sits. That alone is enough for the tear to stop draining. Only later does the whole eyelid margin stand away, and the picture becomes unmistakable.

What matters is the direction, because it decides the symptoms and the procedure. If the eyelid margin turns inward instead of outward, the lashes drag over the cornea — a different finding, which hurts differently and is corrected differently: Entropion — when the eyelid margin turns inward. Both belong to the eyelid malpositions, and at the slit lamp both can be told apart in seconds.

Why a lid that stands away waters constantly

This is the point at which most explanations fall short: With an ectropion it is not that too many tears are produced — they simply no longer find the drain. At the inner corner of the eyelid there is a tiny hole in the lower lid, the tear punctum. It is the entrance to the tear duct that leads to the nose, and it works under one condition only: it must sit against the eye and dip into the small tear lake at the eyelid margin. If the lid tips outward, the punctum points into the air. The tear it should be taking up runs over the eyelid margin onto the cheek instead.

On top of that comes what nobody sees from outside: The tear does not drain away by itself — it is pumped. Every blink presses it through the punctum into the tear duct; the muscle around the eye is what drives this pump. A lower lid that no longer sits against the eye no longer pumps properly. So it is not only the entrance that is missing — the pressure that carries the tear through it is missing too.

There is a second cycle on top of that, which makes matters worse. The exposed mucous membrane dries out, the surface becomes irritated, and an irritated eye reflexively produces still more tears — which, again, it cannot carry away. In this state an eye can be too wet and too dry at the same time, which explains why people affected often describe both: it runs, and it burns. What else lies behind dry, burning eyes is a subject of its own — here the dryness is a consequence of the malposition, not its cause.

The typical picture with an ectropion is therefore this mixture:

Tears running down the cheek — markedly more so outdoors, in the wind and in the cold
Sore, reddened skin on the lower lid and over the cheekbone, from the constant wiping
A visibly red conjunctiva, thickened over time at the margin of the lower lid, which can feel rough and leathery
Burning and a foreign-body sensation, as if there were sand in the eye
Blurred vision in episodes, because the tear film no longer lies evenly over the cornea
Lids stuck together in the morning and recurrent conjunctivitis
Light sensitivity and an eye that is more tired in the evening than in the morning

A watery eye is not, however, proof of an ectropion. A narrowed tear duct, an inflammation of the eyelid margin, an allergy or an unstable tear film also make eyes overflow — the overview of that is under watery eyes and their commonest causes. Which mechanism is at work in your case is shown by the examination, not by the mirror.

A newly developed facial palsy is not an eyelid matter — it needs assessing at once. If one side of the face droops suddenly, within minutes, call the ambulance (144) or drive straight to the nearest emergency department — even when nothing else comes with it. That holds all the more as soon as weakness in an arm or a leg, or disturbances of speech or vision, come with it. Only where the palsy has developed slowly over hours up to about a day and affects the whole side of the face — including frowning and eyelid closure — is a call the same day enough: with us on +41 44 500 69 00, outside consulting hours with the ophthalmic emergency service or your own doctor. When in doubt, call the ambulance (144). In both cases the lid no longer closes properly, and the cornea needs protection at once.

Our rule on advice

We do not operate on a lid because there is room for a procedure in the calendar. If the eyelid margin has lifted only slightly, the cornea is unremarkable and you are managing well with drops, we tell you exactly that — and you decide in your own time. Conversely, you also hear it from us when waiting harms the eye.

Where an ectropion comes from

The cause is not merely a matter of curiosity: it determines which procedure helps at all. A lid that has slackened needs something different from a lid that is being pulled down by a scar — and something different again from a lid whose muscle is no longer being driven. Three forms account for almost every case.

By far the commonest form. The lower lid is held by two fine ligaments at the inner and outer corner of the eyelid and sits against the eye under slight tension. Over the years that tension slackens, the lid becomes too long horizontally, and at some point it no longer carries itself — it sinks down and turns outward. The course is slow, often over years, and frequently begins at the inner corner of the eyelid. Anyone who has also worked outdoors for decades and taken a great deal of sun, or who habitually wipes a watering eye downward, speeds the development up.

Here the lid is not too slack; the skin in front of it is too short. A scar pulls the eyelid margin downward from outside. The causes are injuries and burns, operations in the area of the lower lid — including the removal of a skin tumour on the lid —, an eyelid lift carried out too generously in the past, chronic eczema of the lid skin, or decades of sun damage. You recognise it by the fact that the lid can no longer be pushed upward without the skin tightening, and that the malposition increases markedly when the mouth is opened or on looking up. A tightening on its own would be working against the pull of the scar here, and would not hold.

The ectropion with a facial palsy

The ring-shaped muscle that closes the eye is driven by the facial nerve. If that nerve fails, the lower lid loses its tension, sinks down and turns outward — and at the same time the eye no longer closes completely. For the cornea that combination is the most dangerous of all the forms of ectropion, because the surface is neither wetted nor covered at night.

A facial palsy that has newly appeared is not a finding to watch. The causes range from an inflammation of the nerve, through shingles and Lyme disease, to the consequences of operations, tumours, or a stroke — and they have to be looked for, not guessed at. If one side of the face drops suddenly, within minutes, that is a case for the ambulance (144) and not for a consultation, and that holds even without any further sign: a face drooping on one side is itself already an alarm sign for a stroke. If weakness in an arm or a leg, or disturbances of speech or vision, come with it, all the more so. If, on the other hand, the palsy has developed slowly over hours up to about a day and affects the whole side of the face, including frowning and eyelid closure, the assessment belongs on the same day: for some of the causes the time to the start of treatment is decisive. Anyone unsure which of the two cases applies calls the ambulance (144). In the meantime the eye itself needs protection at once — wetting during the day, eye ointment and covering at night.

Rarer reasons

An ectropion can also arise mechanically: a lump or a growth on the eyelid margin, a pronounced swelling or a severe inflammation of the eyelid margin pull the lid down by their weight. The malposition is very rarely present from birth, and then belongs in a paediatric ophthalmic assessment. And one point that matters more than it sounds: A lump on the eyelid margin that grows, bleeds, crusts over or has lashes falling out of it always needs examining. It can be harmless — but that distinction is not made with the naked eye.

Why an ectropion is not a matter of appearance

From outside, a lower lid that stands away looks like a question of appearance. Medically it is the opposite: it is a failure of protection. The eyelid margin is the wiper that draws the tear film evenly over the cornea with every blink, and the cover that closes the eye at night. If it stands away, both of those fail.

Drying out. The exposed mucous membrane keratinises over time: it becomes thicker, rougher and whitish — and then irritates the eye itself with every blink.
Risk to the cornea. Where the tear film is missing, superficial defects arise. A defect can become an inflammation, an inflammation an ulcer — and scars on the cornea cloud vision permanently. That risk is greatest where the eye no longer closes completely as well.
Recurrent infections. Bouts of conjunctivitis become more frequent, the skin rubbed sore on the lower lid becomes inflamed, and crusts and eczema come with it.
The tear duct itself. A punctum that points into the air for years can narrow and scar. The eye may then still water even once the eyelid margin has long been sitting against it again — and a second step is needed. That is the strongest argument against leaving an ectropion for years.
Everyday life. Reading, screen work and driving with an eye that runs are a strain, and the constant wiping keeps the skin sore.

Even so, to keep the proportions right: An ectropion is, as a rule, not an emergency — with two exceptions, and they stand further up this page: a newly developed facial palsy, and an eye that no longer closes completely or already shows a finding on the cornea. Everything else is a finding that can be planned for, and you may take your time over the decision. Only it does not get better by waiting — the slackening or the pull of the scar behind it does not go back on its own.

How we examine

The examination does not take long, but it decides the choice of procedure. We look at five things:

The eyelid margin and the conjunctiva at the slit lamp. How far the margin has tipped, where the malposition begins, how the tear punctum is positioned, how altered the mucous membrane is.
The cornea with staining. A dye makes defects of the surface visible that cannot be seen with the naked eye. That is the finding that decides how urgent it is.
The tension and the hold of the lid. How far the lower lid can be lifted away from the eye, and how quickly it sits back against it by itself. These two simple tests show how far the lid has slackened — they measure the slackening, but they do not rule out the pull of a scar. Whether a scar is pulling as well is settled by the next point.
Skin and scars. Does the skin tighten when the lid is pushed upward? Does the malposition increase on looking up or on opening the mouth? Then skin is missing, and that changes the procedure.
Eyelid closure and the facial nerve. Does the eye close completely, in sleep as well? Do the facial muscles work equally on both sides? Where needed we also check whether the tear duct itself is still open.

At the end of this appointment you know which form is present, how the cornea is doing and which procedure fits it — and whether it is urgent or not.

What helps until the procedure — and what does not

Until the correction it is about two things: keeping the surface moist and being gentle with the skin. That does not replace the procedure, but it makes the time before it markedly more comfortable — and it protects the cornea.

Wetting during the day. Lubricating eye drops, preferably preservative-free if used often. Better regularly than only once it burns.
Protection at night. A gel or an eye ointment keeps the surface moist for hours. If the lid does not close completely, we also discuss how the eye is covered at night.
Lid hygiene. A warm compress and gentle cleaning of the eyelid margin loosen crusts and calm an inflamed margin — with movements towards the nose, never pulling downward.
Care for the skin. A greasy moisturiser for the place rubbed sore on the lower lid and on the cheek; no harsh cleansers, no alcohol.
Do not rub. Every rub pulls at a lid that is already loose.

What you can save yourself: firming creams and serums, roller devices and massage techniques — they do not reach the ligaments that hold the lid. Adhesive strips and lid tapes pull the margin up mechanically for a few hours, but they make the thin skin sore in the long run and solve nothing. If you have read otherwise elsewhere: with an entropion, the eyelid margin turned inward, taping does have its place — there it deliberately pulls the lid down and outward, away from the eye. With an ectropion the lid already stands outward; the same pull would go in exactly the wrong direction. Of the plasma and radiofrequency devices advertised around the eye in the cosmetic field, we advise against them: in the thin skin of the lid, shifts of pigment and noticeable scars are possible — and with an ectropion an additional scar is precisely what you can least afford. We do not offer that.

How an ectropion is operated on

A lid that has been tipped outward by slackening or the pull of a scar can only be turned back surgically — and those are the two common forms. It is different with the mechanical and inflammatory causes further up: if a pronounced swelling, a lump on the eyelid margin, a severely inflamed eyelid margin or an eczema of the lid skin pulls the lid down, that cause is treated first — and the position can then settle back to normal by itself. A procedure only comes up for discussion if the lid stays out once the cause has subsided.

Where surgery is needed, the good part of the news follows immediately: it is usually a small outpatient procedure under local anaesthetic, and as a rule it takes less than an hour. You are awake and responsive; what you feel is the injection of the anaesthetic, and after that, as a rule, a sensation of pressure or pulling.

Tightening the lid — the standard procedure

With an age-related ectropion, the lower lid that has become too long is shortened horizontally and anchored firmly again to the rim of the eye socket at the outer corner of the eyelid. The incision lies in the outer corner of the eyelid and in the natural lines of the skin. The eyelid margin then sits against the eye again — and the tear punctum dips back in where the tear stands. Where it is mainly the inner section that stands away, a little tissue is also gathered directly behind the punctum so that it turns inward. The suturing is done with very fine material, which is removed after about a week. How much is shortened follows from the measurement beforehand and not from the principle 'the tighter the better': too much tension would be as much a mistake here as too little, because eyelid closure suffers for it — and that is exactly what the procedure is meant to restore.

When the pull of a scar is the cause

With a scar-related ectropion, tightening is not enough: as long as the scar pulls, the lid comes down again. The pull has to be released and the missing skin replaced, by shifting neighbouring skin or by a skin graft, for instance. How extensive that becomes depends on the size of the scar. What is needed and where the procedure takes place we discuss with you after the examination — beforehand, not afterwards.

When a facial palsy is behind it

Here two things come before the lid: the cause of the palsy and the protection of the cornea. Only after that does the question of a procedure arise — and it depends on whether recovery of the nerve is to be expected. Where it is, the gap is bridged and we wait; where the palsy persists, the lower lid is tightened, and depending on the findings additional measures are needed so that the eye closes completely again. One reservation applies here without exception: if the cornea shows a defect or a clouding during that time, there is no more waiting. The corneal finding then decides how to proceed, regardless of the outlook for the nerve — which is why in this phase there are check-ups and not merely watching.

Which of these three routes is the right one in your case is decided by the findings and not by the calendar. The eyelid findings are assessed at all three locations in Zurich, Wetzikon and Meilen; an appointment at the eyelid consultation can be made by phone on +41 44 500 69 00, Mon–Fri 08:00–12:00 / 13:00–17:30, or by booking an appointment at the eyelid consultation online. Which other eyelid malpositions we treat is shown by the overview of all eyelid malpositions.

After the procedure

The follow-up care is unspectacular, and that is exactly how it should be. What to expect:

Cool it for the first few days and keep your head slightly raised when sleeping — that keeps the swelling down.
Drops and ointment to plan. The surface still needs wetting, even now that the eyelid margin sits against the eye.
Suture removal after about a week, then a check-up of eyelid closure and the cornea.
Swelling and bruising over one to two weeks, often unequal between the sides and at their most marked in the first few days.
Do not rub, no pressure on the eye. Put off sport, heavy lifting, sauna and the swimming pool for around two weeks; eye make-up only once the wound has closed, contact lenses after consulting us.
An eye that still waters at first. The tear film and the drainage have to settle into a new pattern; that can take some weeks.

A short scar remains at the outer corner of the eyelid. It is reddened and somewhat firm for the first few weeks and then fades over months; sun protection during that time helps. If your skin tends to noticeable scarring, we tell you so before the procedure.

What the procedure can achieve — and what it cannot

What the correction is meant to achieve:

The eyelid margin sits against the eye again, the inner side is no longer exposed
The tear punctum dips into the tear lake again — the drainage is open
The eye closes completely again, the cornea is covered at night
Irritation, redness and skin rubbed sore usually settle
The wiping in everyday life stops or becomes markedly less frequent

What it cannot achieve — and we would rather say so beforehand:

It does not cure a dry eye. If a disturbance of the tear film is present as well, it remains and continues to be treated.
If the tear duct itself is scarred or narrowed, the eye can go on watering. A second, separate step is then needed.
Wrinkles, under-eye bags and shadows below the eye are a different subject and a different, aesthetic procedure.
Ageing does not stop. The tissue goes on slackening, and after years a malposition can occur again.
An exactly symmetrical result cannot be promised; small differences between the two eyes often remain.

The risks include swelling and bruising, temporarily dry or irritated eyes, an eyelid margin that sits too tight or too loose at first, altered sensation along the scar, and a visible scar at the outer corner of the eyelid. Less common are post-operative bleeding, infection and problems with wound healing; very rare are serious complications up to and including an impairment of vision. No procedure on the eye is without risk, and we discuss these points openly with you beforehand.

When you should not wait

An ectropion usually develops over months, and the great majority of findings have time for a regular appointment. These signs do not — call us the same day if one of these applies:

Increasing pain in the eye, not just burning or a foreign-body sensation
Markedly worse vision, which does not improve after blinking
Marked light sensitivity, which makes you screw up your eye
A whitish spot on the otherwise clear cornea
Purulent discharge or an eye that is rapidly becoming redder
Contact lenses and an irritated, red eye — lenses out and call
An eye that no longer closes completely, particularly at night — that is the finding that turns weeks into days
A lump on the eyelid margin, which grows, bleeds, crusts over or has lashes falling out of it

These signs argue that the cornea is no longer merely irritated but damaged. Our number: +41 44 500 69 00, Mon–Fri 08:00–12:00 / 13:00–17:30; outside consulting hours the ophthalmic emergency service applies. One exception stands above it: A newly developed facial palsy does not wait for a call back. If one side of the face drops suddenly, call the ambulance (144) — the distinction is set out above in the section on causes.

And so that it holds in the other direction too: an eye that has been watering for weeks and rubbing the cheek sore, but sees as well as ever and does not hurt, is not an emergency. It is a reason for an appointment in the next few weeks — not for a drive to the emergency department.

Costs & health insurance

What does the insurer pay for — and what not?

An ectropion is a malposition with pathological significance: it disturbs tear drainage, eyelid closure and the protection of the cornea. Assessment and correction are therefore as a rule medical services — what that means for you in practice is set out here.

Service	Coverage	What this means for you
Ophthalmic assessment of the eyelid findings	Basic health insurance (OKP) where medically indicated	If you come with symptoms — a watery eye, irritation, sore skin, a foreign-body sensation — the assessment is treatment of an illness. The deductible and co-payment apply as at any doctor's appointment.
Examination of the cornea with staining, testing of lid tension and the tear duct	Same as for the assessment	These findings decide the urgency and the method. They are covered even when they show in the end that it is possible to wait — they are not tied to a particular result.
Surgical correction of the ectropion (functional procedure)	Basic health insurance (OKP) where medically indicated	The correction restores eyelid closure and tear drainage and is therefore treatment of an illness. If your insurer requires cost approval in advance, we submit the findings and photographic documentation before the procedure; the decision is made there, not by us.
More extensive correction with a scar-related ectropion or with a facial palsy	Same as for the procedure itself	If the pull of a scar also has to be released or skin replaced, that changes what is involved, not how it is classified: the reason remains medical. What is planned we set down in writing before the procedure.
Purely aesthetic additional service in the same procedure	Self-pay	If you want something beyond that which has no medical reason, that share is set out separately and put to you in writing beforehand as a cost estimate.
Follow-up checks, suture removal and aftercare	Same as for the procedure itself	Aftercare follows how the operation is classified. With a medically justified procedure it goes through basic health insurance.
Lubricating drops, gels and eye ointments	Depending on the preparation	Some artificial tears are covered by basic insurance, others are not. We tell you which preparation makes sense for your findings; whether it is covered is for the pharmacy or your insurer to settle.

There are deliberately no amounts here: what is involved depends on which form is present and on what has to be corrected. A figure without an examination would be a guess.

A tax point that surprises many: with purely aesthetic services VAT is added; with medically indicated treatment it is not. That too is in the cost estimate.

Related conditions

Eyelid malpositions Watery eyes Entropion

Medically reviewed by PD Dr. med. Andrea von Rückmann

Your ophthalmologistPD Dr. med. Andrea von RückmannView profile

Frequently asked questions

: Because the tear no longer finds the drain. At the inner corner of the eyelid there is a tiny hole in the lower lid, the tear punctum — the entrance to the tear duct that runs to the nose. For it to do its job, it must sit against the eye and dip into the tear lake. If the eyelid margin tips outward, the punctum points into empty space, and the tear runs over the eyelid margin onto the cheek instead of draining away. There is a second cycle on top of that: the exposed surface dries out and the eye produces extra tears in defence — so it can be too wet and too dry at the same time. That is why drops alone bring no lasting peace here.
: That depends on what is bringing the lid outward. If it has slackened, or a scar is pulling on it — those are the two common forms — the eyelid margin can only be turned back surgically: no drop, no cream and no device tightens a slackened lid or releases the pull of a scar. It is different where a pronounced swelling, a lump on the eyelid margin or a severe inflammation of the eyelid margin pulls the lid down; that cause is then treated first, and the position can settle back to normal by itself. What makes the time until a procedure bearable is wetting during the day, an ointment or a gel for the night, careful lid hygiene and well-cared-for skin on the lower lid. Whether and when to operate is decided by the findings: if the eyelid margin stands away only slightly, the symptoms are mild and the cornea is unremarkable, it is fine to watch and to decide in your own time. If the surface dries out, if the eye is permanently irritated or if the lid no longer closes completely, waiting is the worse choice — then time is working against the eye.
: As a rule, yes. An ectropion is a malposition with pathological significance — it impairs tear drainage, eyelid closure and the protection of the cornea. Where a doctor has indicated it, assessment and correction therefore go through basic health insurance; the deductible and co-payment apply as with any other procedure. If your insurer requires cost approval in advance, we submit the findings and photographic documentation before the procedure — the decision is made there, not by us. If you also want something purely aesthetic in the same procedure, that share is set out separately, is self-pay and is subject to VAT. What belongs to which we set down in writing beforehand.
: The procedure itself is usually done as an outpatient under local anaesthetic and mostly takes less than an hour; you go home afterwards. The fine sutures are usually removed after about a week. Swelling and bruising are at their most marked in the first few days and subside over one to two weeks, often unequally between the sides. Office work is often possible again after a few days; sport, heavy lifting, sauna and the swimming pool are better put off for around two weeks, and eye make-up until the wound has closed. That the eye still waters in the first weeks is normal — the tear film and the drainage have to settle in again first.
: What is decisive first is the speed, not the lid. If one side of the face has dropped suddenly, within minutes, call the ambulance (144) at once — even when nothing else comes with it, because a stroke can be behind it. The same holds regardless of the speed as soon as weakness in an arm or a leg, a disturbance of language, speech or swallowing, disturbed vision, or a sudden severe headache is added. Only where the palsy has developed slowly over hours up to about a day and affects the whole side of the face — including frowning and eyelid closure — is a call the same day the right route; next week it is in no case: the cause has to be looked for, and for some of the causes the time to the start of treatment counts. If you are unsure which of the two cases applies, treat it as an emergency and call the ambulance (144). In every case the eye needs protection at once, because the lid no longer closes properly: wetting during the day, an eye ointment at night, covering the eye at night and no rubbing. We tell you on the phone where you belong first.
: The direction — and with it almost everything else. With an ectropion the eyelid margin tips outward, away from the eye: the inner side of the lid is exposed, the tear punctum loses contact with the tear lake, the eye overflows and dries out. With an entropion the eyelid margin turns inward, and then the lashes drag over the cornea — that hurts, scratches with every blink and can damage the surface of the cornea quickly. Both are eyelid malpositions, both are corrected surgically, but with different techniques. They can only be confused from the outside: at the slit lamp the difference is clear in seconds.

An eye that runs constantly is not something you have to put up with.

In the eyelid consultation we establish in a single appointment which form of eyelid malposition is present, how the cornea and the tear duct are doing — and which procedure fits. You decide afterwards.

Call now — appointment at the eyelid consultation

+41 44 500 69 00 — Mon–Fri 08:00–12:00 / 13:00–17:30. Or book an appointment online.