Pseudoepiphora exists when tears spill from the eye as a result of initial eye dryness. Rather than an initial excess of tears causing tear spillage, pseudoepiphora results from initial irritation of the eye. Proper lubrication of the eye requires two types of tears, an oily component produced in the eyelids and a watery component produced in the tear glad. The initial dryness is usually caused by inadequate production of the oily component of the tears. To compensate, this causes a natural reflex to flood the eye with an excessive amount of watery tear fluid; however, this flood of incomplete watery tears may do little to improve the underlying surface irritation.
