From yellow discharge to eye infections, blocked tear ducts cause discomfort to babies and worry to parents. Tears cannot drain properly when the duct is blocked, and the duct ends up swelling or getting infected. Keep reading to learn more about blocked tear duct in babies.
A blocked tear duct is a condition when the tear duct (where tears drain through a small tube in the eyes) gets blocked or doesn’t open up properly. Blocked tear ducts usually reveal themselves during the first two weeks after the baby is born, when the baby starts getting “watery” eyes. A yellow or white discharge often accompanies them, and sometimes this discharge ends up sealing the eyelids shut too.
Almost 6 out of 100 newborns are affected by blocked tear ducts after birth. They may occur during the baby’s birth year and may not cause any eye problems when they first appear as well.
The common causes of a blocked tear duct in infants are-
Symptoms of a blocked tear duct usually appear during the first few days to weeks after being born.
Most blocked tear duct conditions in babies resolve naturally with time. However, sometimes a little bit of testing and diagnosis never hurts to cross-check if it spurs from underlying causes. The following three tests are used for diagnosing a blocked tear duct –
Blocked tear ducts usually open up on their own. Meanwhile, here are 6 treatments you can try to help them open up and get those tears draining-
1. Surgical Probing – Surgical probing is a procedure done at the hospital to manually open up the tear ducts through surgery. It’s done on an outpatient basis, and your ophthalmologist will recommend it if your baby has a severe infection and must be admitted to the hospital. The procedure lasts for about 10 minutes.
2. Silicone Tube Intubation – Silicon tubes are inserted into tear ducts to stretch and open them up. The tubes are kept in place for 6 months and surgically removed afterwards.
3. Balloon Catheter Dilation (DCP) – A balloon is placed into the tear duct by insertion through the corner of the eyes and inflated using a sterile solution to expand the tear duct openings. It is afterwards deflated and removed from the eyes.
4. Antibiotic Eye Drops – If an infection spreads, your baby’s paediatrician may prescribe your little one some antibiotic eye drops or eye ointment. These drops or ointments aid in clearing up infections and eliminate harmful bacteria from blocked tear ducts.
5. Chinese Medicine – Chinese medicines are useful and effective for treating conjunctivitis or “pink eye” conditions. Herbs like Ju Hua also treat allergy-related tear duct conditions.
6. Aloe – Use a little amount of aloe from the inside of an aloe leaf and rub that gently on both the eyelids to reduce swelling and redness.
Home remedies work just as well as surgical treatment. Try these before you consider surgical procedures for your little one-
1. Breast Milk – Apply a few drops of breast milk to treat blocked tear ducts in your little one’s eyes and watch them recover gradually.
2. Tear Duct Massage – Ask your doctor to demonstrate how to do a massage to help your baby’s blocked tear duct and be gentle. Basically, you apply gentle pressure between the tear ducts along the upper nose area to aid in clearing up the ducts. This can be done up to two times a day, every day.
3. Warm Compress – Take a soft, clean washcloth and dip it in warm water. Gently wipe the insides of the duct and work your way outward so that particles don’t enter the eye. If both your baby’s ducts are blocked, you must use another clean washcloth or a cotton ball to repeat the process.
Prevention is better than cure. Here are some ways you can prevent your baby’s tear duct from facing blockage in the first place-
A blocked tear duct is nothing serious or extreme to worry about. It happens to many babies and the above remedies will certainly come in handy. Try these out and watch them heal soon!