ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Blocked tear duct

What is Blocked tear duct?

17:40 - 3 November , 2023

Disease

It is a partial or total obstruction in the tear duct, which is the channel through which tears flow, preventing their drainage and producing eye irritation.

Blocked tear duct is a common congenital condition in babies, which disappears spontaneously during the first 10 to 12 months. It can also affect adults, and the most common causes are:

  • Infections.
  • Trauma.
  • Injuries.
  • Aging.
  • Extended use of eye drops.
  • Chemotherapy.
  • Radiation therapy.
  • Tumors.

Signs and symptoms Blocked tear duct

  • Teary eyes.
  • Eye redness.
  • Conjunctivitis.
  • Inflammation.
  • Scabby eyelids.
  • Mucus or purulent discharge in the eyes.
  • Blurred vision.

See your ophthalmologist immediately if have watery eyes for more than three days or if you suffer from recurring eye infections to determine the cause and receive the appropriate treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment Blocked tear duct

After analyzing your symptoms and clinical history, the ophthalmologist will perform a complete eye exam and perform various tests to confirm the diagnosis, such as:

  • Tear drainage test.
  • Probing and irrigation.
  • X-rays.
  • Computed tomography.
  • MRI.

The treatment to follow will depend on the origin of the blocked tear duct, the severity of the case, and the age of the patient, but may include:

  • Antibiotics
  • Massage in the tear duct.
  • Intubation.
  • Dilation with a catheter.
  • Surgery.

How to prevent blocked tear duct:

  • Continuous hand hygiene.
  • Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes.
  • Refrain from sharing cosmetics and throw away yours after a certain period of use.
  • Clean your contact lenses and change them periodically.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Fuentes:

  • aeped.es
  • middlesexhealth.org
  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • topdoctors.es
  • cun.es
  • msdmanuals.com
  • medigraphic.com

How can we help you?

    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.