Meta Description: blocked tear ducts is a condition that can develop at any age, but it is very common among the newborns. There are treatments to accelerate the process of improvement

Blocked Tear Ducts is an eye condition that a person can develop at any age, but it mostly it develops in infants. Six out of hundred newborns are born with blocked tear ducts.

What are Tear Ducts?

Lacrimal glands, located above the eye, are the source of tears in the human eye. The purpose of tears is to lubricate the eye and protect it. The tears come out from lacrimal glands and drain out of the puncta, the tiny holes in the corners of the eyelids, and after travelling through the canaliculi, the small canals, the tears enter the lacrimal sac. The lacrimal sac is located on the side of the nose, which leads the way to the nasolacrimal duct, which we know as the tear duct. From the tear duct, the tears either evaporate or get reabsorbed.

What is a Blocked Tear Duct?

The tear ducts are from where the tears are collected and either evaporated or reabsorbed. A case where these ducts get partially or completely obstructed is known as the condition blocked tear duct. Due to blocked tear ducts, the drainage system of the tears in the eye is affected, which in result causes irritation and infections in the eye.

Almost 20 percent of the newborns have this condition, but it is not a severe condition. Inflammation in the eye and eye infection are the common side effects of a blocked tear duct. In serious cases, the condition may turn into a tumor.

Causes of Blocked Tear Duct

The causes of blocked tear ducts vary in adults and children. The factor that paves the way for the development of this condition in children is the improper opening of the thin tissue that is located at the end of the tear duct. Other factors include eye infections, increased pressure on the tear duct due to abnormal nasal bone growth, and undeveloped drain holes on the corners of the eyelids. Moreover, the condition of blocked tear ducts may be genetical.

Injury in bones or the tissues around the eye are the common causes of blocked tear ducts in adults. Even ageing is a significant factor in causing blocked tear ducts.

The Symptoms

The symptoms blocked tear ducts appear only in one eye. The common signs that indicate a blocked tear duct include;

· Teary eyes, the extent may vary from wet-looking eyes to heavy tearing

· Sticky eyelids due to the yellowish-white buildup in the corners of the eye

· Swollen eyes and nose

Treatment for Blocked Tear Ducts

Generally, the blocked tear ducts in infants get better with time without any treatment. There are several treatments for the blocked tear drains which accelerates the recovery time.

Antibiotics

The healthcare provider prescribes antibiotics to treat the infection and stop the discharge from the eye. The intake of antibiotics does not open the blocked duct but relieves you from the pain.

Massage

Massaging the lacrimal sac twice a day with cotton or gently rubbing the fingers on the lower corner of the baby’s eyes can open the tear duct.

Tear Duct Probing

When the blockage does not open naturally, you may consult a doctor. The tear duct probing is a procedure in which a thin probe into the tearing drain holes and open the tissue that is blocking the tear duct. If this does not work, the doctor proceeds with the Balloon Catheter Dilation.