Blocked Tear Duct: Treatment
Posted by Accuspire on Jul 7th 2020
For some specific conditions, one or more treatment procedure is required before opening the duct fully. Usually a doctor prescribes antibiotics if there is any infection.
Some newborn babies have congenital blocked tear duct. It improves on its own within someone as the nasolacrimal duct opens up and the drainage system gets matured.A special massage technique is also done by ophthalmologist to open the membrane which covers the baby’s nose lower opening. Ophthalmologist also demonstrates the massaging procedure.
By massaging, pressure is put on the lacrimal sac to open the membrane. Place your index finger on each side of baby's face between the eyes inner corner and the side of nose. The message should be done both morning and evening by 10 strokes. The best time to do this massage is during a diaper change.
If there is a facial injury and the tear ducts get blocked, within 6 months after the injury the drainage system gets back to a normal state and no additional treatment is required. If it is not normal after few months a surgery may be recommended by the ophthalmologist.
Dilation, probing and irrigation technique is done in infants to open the blocked tear duct by inserting an instrument into the punctal opening and to the tear drainage system and nasal opening. A saline solution is used to wash away any residue present in the tear drainage system.
Sometimes balloon catheter dilation procedure is also done by ophthalmologist to make the drainage system work normal. During this procedure general anesthesia is used. Stenting or intubation is also another procedure handled by ophthalmologist to open the tear drainage system blockage. General anaesthesia is also used here. A very thin tube is inserted into the puncta leaving a tiny loop near the eye corner for three or four months.
Usually most people prefer surgery to clear the blocked tear duct. This is one of the best options but mostly it is done after trying other treatment procedures. Dacryocystorhinostomy is done to clear the blocked tear duct in adults. This surgical procedure creates a new tear route between the nose and lacrimal sac. It bypasses the normal route that is, the duct which empties into the nose. This surgical procedure is different from stenting and intubation in the latter procedure, the tube is removed after three or four months.
Depending on the condition, ophthalmologist recommends a surgical procedure and to prevent postoperative infection eye drops or nasal decongestant spray is used. If a patient is suffering from tumor in the blocked tear duct, surgery is done to remove the tumour.
