What is blocked tear duct?
Blocked tear duct occurs when the tear drainage system is partially or not at all due to obstruction, and when tears cannot be drained normally, it can cause irritated, watery eyes and even chronic eye infections.
This continuous tearing is also called epiphora. When suffering from this pathology, an evaluation by an ophthalmologist is necessary, since it will hinder our daily activities.
Symptoms
They usually appear when there have been repeated infections in the tear duct. The most frequent symptoms are:
- Constant and annoying tearing in the eye
- Constant eye irritation
- Appearance of eye-lashes
- Blurred vision
In children, it occurs because the tear duct is not fully developed.
Indicated treatment
Treatment of blocked tear duct can only be by surgical intervention.
Dacryocystorhinostomy, as the procedure is called, consists of placing an alternative duct in the eye to the one that is obstructed in order to achieve the expulsion or evacuation of tears.
Currently, it is practiced with diode laser, since it is more comfortable to end the obstruction of the lacrimal or tear ducts and also avoids injuries to the eye due to the operation.
With this intervention, a new drainage hole can be created if the old duct is very obstructed, or the existing duct can be enlarged if it is partially obstructed.
Results
Thanks to well-established techniques and technological advances, the patient will gradually notice that the constant tearing will disappear. As well as reducing the discomfort they were previously causing you.