What is the tear duct? The tear duct is the natural tear drainage system in the human eye

It is a small channel that connects the lacrimal sac (located at the end of the eye from the inside towards the nose) and the nasal cavity,

This duct may be completely or partially blocked, causing a defect in the performance of its function, which is the drainage of tears.

Symptoms

There are several symptoms of a blocked tear duct.

Excessive tearing, or tears appearing in the eyes all the time,
As if the injured person is in a state of constant crying.
Infections of the eyelids or the cornea due to the accumulation of unclean tears that are loaded with bacteria and germs.
Swelling and swelling of the lacrimal sac located at the tip of the eye on the side of the nose,
With pain in this area.
The descent of some mucous secretions from the eye.
Tears stained with blood.

It is necessary for the patient to go to the doctor immediately as soon as these symptoms or some of them appear, because early diagnosis helps to make the treatment simple, quick and multiple,

Before the problem worsens, and most options are not possible or available, the doctor is forced to perform surgical intervention to treat the problem.

Lacrimal duct problem in children

Many babies are born with an underdeveloped tear duct, and their tear ducts mature and grow fully within the first year of life.

This is a normal and widespread phenomenon, and in these cases, tear duct obstruction is not considered a pathological obstruction.

Rather, it is just a congenital obstruction that opens automatically with the completion of growth, and in some cases of congenital obstruction, the tear duct may not open by itself,

The doctor teaches the mother or father a certain way to massage the area around the nose below the child’s eyes regularly, to help open the blockage,

If this method does not work, the doctor will conduct some advanced tests to correctly diagnose the blockage.

If this blockage is pathological rather than congenital, tear duct blockage surgery may be used as a last resort.

Lacrimal duct obstruction surgery is used to treat the problem of pathological or acquired obstruction in most cases after the failure of other traditional treatment methods.

Also, surgery may be resorted to with children born with a congenital blockage that did not open after full growth, and the method of regular manual massage did not work for them.

Surgical treatment may be by unblocking the tear duct and removing the blockage, or by reconstructing a new tear duct,

The operation is performed under the influence of general or partial anesthesia, depending on the nature of the case and the location of the operation.