Tear Duck Block - Tip for parenting

When my kid was 3 months old we noticed that his eyes are matted quite often. It was even worse when he wakes up from his sleep; he cannot open his eyes at all. The old fellas at home as usual blamed it on heat and applied head full of oil. Things didn’t improve much and so we made a visit to Mahatma Eye hospital in Trichy.

There he was diagnosed for blockage in tear duct. We were initially worried but then the doctor explained to us that around 50% children have this problem and it can be cured by doing a simple massage. So firs let me explain the root cause of this problem, its symptoms and finally the remedy.

Cause:

Tears are produced to keep our eye moist and also to drain out dust. Tears that are produced passes through the Nasolacrimal duct and drains into the nose. Many kids born without a fully developed duct, may be the duct is too narrow or has a web of tissues that block the duct.  

Symptoms

• Excessive tearing
• Pus in the corner of eye (கண்ணு பொங்கறது)
• Constant Matting of eye

Treatment

Massage

If it is diagnosed in early stages( within 4 months), it can be treated by giving a gentle massage.  

• Wash your hands before doing the massage.
• Apply olive oil or some other oil in the index finger.
• Place your index finger on the side of your child's nose and firmly massage down toward the corner of the nose.  Repeat it 10 times. You can observe the skin turns whitish and pus coming out of the eye.
• Do it 4 times a day.

*Ask your doctor to do the massage and observe it.

The massage is successful 90% times. If your kid still has the same symptoms even after 1 year then a surgical probing is required.  This has an 85% to 95% success rate for kids who are 1 year old or younger; the success rate drops as children get older. Surgical probing may be repeated if it's not initially successful.

Probing

A surgical probe takes about 10 minutes. A thin, blunt metal wire is gently passed through the tear duct to open any obstruction. Sterile saline is then irrigated through the duct into the nose to make sure that there is now an open path. This will be done under general anesthesia.

My kid had blockage in both the eyes. His one eye got cured within a week of massage but the other eye still has the block. He is undergoing Probing in Shankara Netralaya hospital shortly.

*This article is based on my experience. Please always consult your doctor.

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