A blocked tear duct occurs when the nasolacrimal duct, which drains tears from the eye into the nose, gets blocked (because of incidents such as infection or trauma) or, more commonly, is blocked from birth (congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction).
An infant with a blocked tear duct will often:
- have teary eyes
- have eyes that appear crusted and matted with discharge, because mucoid material that is normally produced in the lacrimal sac backs up onto the eye, instead of draining through the nasolacrimal duct to the nose
- have some redness around his eyes because he rubs them a lot
Fortunately, most cases of blocked tear ducts go away on their own, but until then, treatments can include:
- nasolacrimal massage, in which you massage the inside corner of your child's nose 2 to 3 times a day
- cleaning any discharge or matter in the eyes with a warm washcloth
- antibiotic eye drops when the the discharge in the eyes becomes excessive, like if you are having to wipe it away more than 2 or 3 times a day
- oral antibiotics if your child develops symptoms of dacryocystitis, an infection which can cause the tear duct to become swollen, red, and painful
If your child's blocked tear duct does not go away on its own, especially by the time he is 9 to 12 months old, additional treatment by nasolacrimal duct probing may be necessary. In this procedure, a pediatric ophthalmologist will insert a probe into the nasolacrimal duct, attempting to clear anything that is blocking the duct. Occasionally, a canalicular stent, a type of silicone tube, is placed into the nasolacrimal duct if it continues to get obstructed.
Sources: Evaluation and management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Kapadia MK - Otolaryngol Clin North Am - 01-OCT-2006; 39(5): 959-77, vii.
