$Unique_ID{PAR00070}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Eye, Blocked Tear Duct}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Blocked Tear Duct Watering eyes Green yellow pus Red raw outer
corners eyelids corner antibiotic eye drops drop tear glands tearing gland
nasolacrimal ducts lacrimal sac silver nitrate infections Blockage tears
crying tearing infection congestion cold allergy allergies ophthalmologist}
$Log{
Tear Glands and Ducts*0007001.tif}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Eye, Blocked Tear Duct


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Watering eyes
     - Green or yellow pus in the eyes
     - Red, raw skin at the outer corners of the eyelids
     - Swollen tear sac at the side of the nose

     HOME CARE
     - Simple tearing needs no treatment.  Wipe away tears and clean eyelids
       with sterile water on a cotton ball.
     - If the skin is red at the outer corners of the eyes, if the eyes
       themselves are red, or if there is pus, call your doctor.  The doctor
       may prescribe antibiotic eye drops over the telephone.
     - If the tear sac at the side of the nose is swollen, see your doctor.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - With home treatment, the eyes should improve within 24 hours.  If there
       is no improvement, call your doctor.
     - If improvement is prompt, continue home treatment until the eye has
       been clear for at least two days.
     - Repeated problems of tearing from obstructed tear ducts are common in
       infants.


     Tears form in the tear glands that lie above the eyeballs within the bony
eye sockets.  These tear glands continuously produce fluid that flows across
the eyeballs and down the slender tear ducts that connect each eye with the
nose (the nasolacrimal ducts).  The opening to each tear duct is pinpoint in
size and can be seen near the corner of the eye next to the nose.  Each tear
duct leads to a lacrimal sac between the corner of the eye and the side of the
nose, where the tears collect and from which they drain into the nose.
     In newborns, the openings into the tear ducts are often too small.  These
openings may be further blocked by the silver nitrate or other drops placed in
the eyes at birth to prevent eye infections.  Blockage of these openings may
cause tears to flow out of the outer corner of the baby's eye, even when the
infant is not crying.  Occasionally, instead of normal eye fluid, green or
yellow pus will collect in the eye.  This discharge will further block the
tiny tear ducts.
     If the nasolacrimal duct becomes blocked inside the nose, tearing and
infection may occur.  Such blockage may be present at birth, or it may be
caused by congestion from a cold or an allergy.  In such a case, the
nasolacrimal sac may swell with fluid and be visible as a distinct lump the
size of a green pea.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     In infants, simple tearing in one or both eyes is so common (and
harmless) as to be considered normal.  However, if there is pus in the eye,
redness and rawness at the outer corners of the eyelids, or swelling of the
lacrimal sac (with or without redness), treatment may be needed.

HOME CARE

     Simple tearing needs no treatment.  The tears can be wiped away, and the
eyelids cleaned by wiping with a cotton ball dipped in sterile water.  Call
the doctor if the eye is red, pus is present, or the tear duct is swollen.
Redness of the skin at the outer corner of the eye, redness of the eye itself,
or the presence of pus may be treated with antibiotic eye drops prescribed by
the doctor, often over the telephone.  If the lacrimal sac is swollen, your
doctor may teach you how to gently massage it.  (Do not attempt to massage the
lacrimal sac without a doctor's instructions.)

PRECAUTIONS

  -  With home treatment, the eyes should improve within 24 hours.  If there
     is no improvement, notify your doctor.
  -  If improvement is prompt, continue treatment until the eye has been clear
     for at least two days.
  -  Repeated problems of eye tearing are common in infants.  Save the eye
     drops for possible future use, but check the expiration date on the label
     before reusing.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Your doctor can demonstrate the proper method of massaging the lacrimal
sac, if needed.  If the condition continues past the age of eight months to
one year, your doctor may refer your child to an ophthalmologist (a physician
who specializes in disorders of the eyes), who may surgically enlarge the
nasolacrimal duct with the child under general anesthesia.

RELATED TOPICS:  Conjunctivitis; Eye allergies