About the disease

Blocked tear duct is a condition, whereas tears are not able to drain from the eye properly. Tear ducts are small tubes responsible for producing the tears. They stretch from the eyes to the nose. In case of blocked tear duct, tear ducts are usually filled with a fluid. In this case, a tear duct can become inflamed and swollen. It can also become infected in some cases.

Blocked tear duct is a common condition among newborns. According to WebMD, approximately 6 babies out of 100 have blocked tear duct. This condition can develop in adults as well, although more rarely. In most cases blocked tear duct resolve on its own during the first years of baby`s life. It should be noted that this condition does not affect vision of child or has any serious complications.

There are many causes of blocked tear duct. The most common one is that tear ducts do not open normally, as the thin tissue at the end of them is unable to open properly. Another common cause of blocked tear duct is an infection, which resulted in inflammation and swelling of the tear ducts. Rarely, in some babies nasal bones grows abnormally and as a result of a pressure on the tear duct  blockage occurs.

In adults blocked tear duct can occur as a result of an eye injury. Most commonly, only one tear duct is affected, meaning that only one eye is affected as well.

Symptoms

• Profuse tearing, when a person is unable to stop tears
• A small buildup of yellow color at the corner of an eye which can make eyelids stick together
• Redness in the eye
• Swelling which usually passes away when blocked tear duct condition resolves

Diagnosis

• During a general examination, the otolaryngologist or the pediatrician will examine the eyes to determine how profuse the tearing of blocked tear duct is. He will also determine if there is redness or swelling in the eye and if there are buildups of yellow color in the corners of the eye.
• Blood test can be used to determine if a person has infection. Other tests can also determine which infection caused blocked tear duct. In babies this is a normal condition and a general examination is usually enough to draw a conclusive diagnosis.

Treatment

• Conservative treatment includes clearing of the eyes and its moisturizing to prevent swelling and infection. Gentle massage of the tear ducts can also assuage the blockage. A person should also avoid exposing eyes to the wind or cold to speed up the recovery.
• Endoscopic nasolachrymal duct probing is a minimally invasive surgery used to clear the blockage and normalize the function of blocked tear duct. This surgery has good results and rarely poses danger of any complications.

Authors: Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova, Dr. Farrukh Ahmed