DIAGNOSIS
To diagnose your medical condition, the doctor will obtain a medical history and do an eye exam. The insides of your nose will also be examined to know whether there are structural abnormalities in your nose that may cause obstruction. If the doctor suspects that you may have blocked tear ducts, tests will be requested to find where the obstruction may be.
Tests may include the following:
Tear drainage test. This test estimates how rapidly your tear ducts are draining. A drop of a special dye is placed on the surface of each eye. You may have a blocked tear duct if after five minutes a large portion of the color is still on the surface of your eye.
Irrigation and probing. The doctor may flush a saline solution through your tear duct to check whether it is draining or not. Or on the other hand, he or she may embed a slim instrument (test) through the tiny openings at the edge of your lid to check for blockages.
Eye imaging tests. For these techniques, a dye is passed from the tear duct toward the edge of your lid through your tear drainage. At that point, x-rays, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images are taken to discover the area and reason for the blockage.
TREATMENT
Your treatment relies upon what’s causing the blocked tear duct. You may require more than one way to deal with the issue. If a tumor is causing your blocked tear duct, treatment will center around the reason for the tumor. Surgical procedures might be performed to expel the tumor, or your specialist may prescribe different medicines to shrivel it.
Treatments would include the following:
- Antibiotic eye drops or pills
- Simple observation
- Dilation, probing and flushing, which is done with general anesthesia. The duct openings may be enlarged and a thin probe is inserted into the drainage system. Flushing may also be done.
- Balloon catheter dilation, in which a tube or catheter is inserted into the tear duct to open the blockage.
- Stenting or intubation. General anesthesia may be given, then a thin tube, made of silicone or polyurethane, is inserted into the duct. The tubes will be left for three months and then removed.
