Clogged tear duct – What is the cause?
The tear fluid is drained into the nose through the tear ducts, i.e. through the lacrimal points, tear duct, lacrimal sac and tear-nasal duct. If one of these pathways no longer functions, the outflow is disturbed. The fluid can no longer drain properly due to the blockage and infections can more easily attack the tear duct.
Signs of a blocked lacrimal duct are The reasons for an obstruction in the tear duct can be a congenital malformation of the tear ducts, a conventional inflammation in the eye, glaucoma, an injury or a tumor. In some cases, the tear ducts become narrower with age and are therefore more prone to obstruction. Chemotherapy or radiation can also narrow the tear ducts.
If there is a painless obstruction of the tear ducts over a longer period of time, the doctor should rule out a tumor. If there is an acute inflammation, it usually heals itself after a few days or must be treated with antibiotics. You can find more information about this under: Clogged tear duct – symptoms and therapy
- Tearing eyes
- Reddened eyelids
- Pain or swelling in the eye
- Blurred vision
If the tear duct is blocked, the eyes become excessively watery.
In most cases the obstacle can be removed. In order to remove the obstruction, the tear ducts can be rinsed at the ophthalmologist as a therapeutic option.For this purpose, a short anaesthesia can be performed in children and, if desired, anaesthetic drops can be administered to the eye in adults. First, a thin but blunt instrument is used to widen the teardrop with a rotating movement.
Then a hollow needle, rounded at the front, is carefully inserted into the tear duct. To protect the structures, the opening of the hollow needle is on the side. This allows a small amount of saline solution to be passed through the instrument into the tear ducts for irrigation.
If the irrigation is successful and the tear ducts are once again open, the irrigation solution is drained into the nose or throat. If it is necessary to know exactly where the obstacle lies, the doctor can perform a further examination immediately afterwards. In this examination, a contrast medium is introduced into the lacrimal duct and then an X-ray examination is scheduled.
The ophthalmologist can then determine where the constriction is located in the X-ray image. In newborns, the lacrimal ducts are not yet well developed, which is why blockages can occur more often. In order to relieve the blockage, the tear ducts can be massaged.
In preparation, take a cosmetic tissue and moisten it with lukewarm water. While you gently pull the lower eyelid down with one hand, hold the cloth in the other hand. Then carefully cleanse the eye with the cloth, once from the outer corner of the eye to the corner of the eye adjacent to the nose.
The procedure can be repeated as often as you like, but always with a clean cosmetic tissue. With washed hands, place the index finger on the corner of the nose and apply gentle pressure for three seconds. Then let go for a few seconds and repeat this a few times a day. A warm washcloth or a warm tea bag on the eye can also help to widen the tear ducts a little.
