If your eyes are watery and inflamed, you may have a blocked tear duct. The tear ducts can become blocked due to an infection or something more serious, such as a tumor. You can treat blocked tear ducts by massaging them, but if further treatment is needed, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or suggest surgery to open the blocked tear ducts.
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Part 1 of 3: Diagnosing a Blocked Tear Duct
Step 1. Know the cause of the blocked tear duct
A blocked tear duct (also known as dacryocystitis) occurs when something blocks the tube that connects the eye to the nose. It is most common in newborns, but can also occur in adults as a result of infection, injury or tumor. The following are common causes of blocked tear ducts:
- Congenital blockage, which occurs in newborns
- Changes due to aging
- eye infection
- Trauma to the face
- Tumor
- Cancer treatment
Step 2. Recognize the symptoms of a blocked tear duct
The most common symptom is increased tears. The tears that come out can wet the face. If you have blocked tear ducts, the tears that come out may be thicker than normal and leave a crust as they dry. Other symptoms include:
- Recurrent eye inflammation
- Blurred vision
- Discharge of fluid such as mucus or pus in the eyelids
Step 3. See your doctor for a diagnosis of your eye
A physical examination by a professional medical practitioner is necessary to diagnose a blocked tear duct. While inflammation may cause the blockage, tumors or other serious illnesses can also cause it. Thus, it is very important to consult a doctor.
- To check for blocked tear ducts, your doctor will moisten your eye with a colored liquid. If your tears don't drain properly, and you can feel the fluid and feel it dripping down your throat, this may indicate a blockage in your tear ducts.
- The doctor will also ask you to describe your symptoms, which are clinical data that will help you to rule out other eye diseases such as congenital conjunctivitis and glaucoma.
Part 2 of 3: Unblocking Tear Ducts at Home
Step 1. Frequently clean the affected area
Use a clean washcloth and warm water to wash the tear ducts several times a day, so they don't interfere with your vision. This is especially important if the tear duct blockage is caused by an infection that can spread to the other eye.
Step 2. Apply a warm compress to improve tear flow
A warm compress can open up the tear ducts and improve their flow. Press a warm compress over the top of the tear duct for three to five minutes, about 5 times a day, until the blocked tear duct opens.
- To make a warm compress, you can use a warm damp towel or soak a cotton ball in warm water or chamomile tea (which has soothing properties).
- Make sure that the compress you are using is not too hot, or it will cause redness and pain.
Step 3. Try massaging the lacrimal sac to open the blockage
Lacrimal sac massage can be used to open the tear ducts and improve their flow. Your doctor may be able to show you how to perform this massage both for your baby and for yourself. To massage the lacrimal sac, place your index finger in the inner corner of your eye, which is close to your nose.
- Press this part for a few seconds and then release. Repeat 3 to 5 times a day.
- Always remember to wash your hands before doing this massage, to avoid bacterial contamination from your hands into the eyes causing infection.
Step 4. Put breast milk into the eye to kill bacteria
This method is quite effective for babies who have blocked tear ducts. Breast milk has antimicrobial properties that can help fight infection in blocked ducts as well as lubricate the eyes thereby reducing irritation.
- Put a few drops of breast milk on your index finger and let it drip into the baby's sore eye. You can do this up to six times a day.
- Always wash your hands first, to avoid bacterial contamination to your baby's eyes.
Part 3 of 3: Performing Medical Treatment
Step 1. Take oral antibiotics to fight tear duct infections
Oral antibiotics will be prescribed to help treat blocked tear ducts if an infection is the cause. Antibiotics are substances used to inhibit the growth of bacteria in certain areas of your body.
- Erythromycin is the drug most widely used to treat tear duct obstruction. This drug will inhibit the growth and multiplication of bacteria, by interfering with the bacterial protein formation cycle.
- The usual dose for erythromycin is 250 mg four times a day. However, this dose may vary according to the severity of the infection and the patient's age, so follow your doctor's advice.
Step 2. Use antibiotic eye drops in place of oral medications
For milder infections, antibiotic eye drops will be prescribed instead of oral antibiotics.
- To use eye drops, shake the eye drop bottle, lift your head and instill the amount recommended by your doctor. Close your eyes for 30 seconds so your eye drops can be absorbed.
- Always wash your hands before using eye drops to avoid contaminating bacteria into your eyes. After instilling the eye drops, wash your hands again.
- For children, the method of use is the same, but requires adult supervision so that it does not move.
Step 3. Perform probe treatment and eye irrigation
Dilation, probe and irrigation are minimally invasive treatments that can also be performed to open blocked tear ducts. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia and takes about 30 minutes.
- This procedure is performed by widening the puncta (two small holes in the eyelid) with a small metal instrument. After that, the probe is moved through the canal until it reaches the nose. When the probe reaches the nose, the tear duct is irrigated using a sterile solution.
- If you (or your child) are advised to get this treatment, be sure not to take aspirin or ibuprofen two weeks before surgery, as this can cause bleeding.
Step 4. Consider intubation care
Intubation is another minimally invasive treatment option. As with probes and irrigation, the goal is to unblock the tear duct. Anesthesia is given to the patient to put him to sleep during the procedure.
- During the procedure, a thin tube is inserted into the puncta at the corner of the eye until it reaches the nose. The tube is then left in the tear duct for three to four minutes until it dries and prevents it from clogging again.
- These tubes are difficult to see, but after surgery there are a few things you should watch out for to prevent infection. You should never rub your eyes or damage the tube, and you should always remember to wash your hands before touching your eyes.
Step 5. Perform the operation as a last resort
Surgery is the last treatment option. When the tear duct cannot be opened using any of the methods above, it will need to be completely removed using a procedure called a dacryocystorhinostomy.
- A dacryocystorhinostomy is performed by creating a shortcut between the tear duct and the nose so that your tears can flow.
- A fistula is then inserted into the canal and serves as a new tear duct.
