What should I do if my tear ducts are blocked?

Tear duct obstruction Tear duct obstruction is a symptom that occurs in the tear puncta and other parts of the body. This symptom is relatively common in clinical practice. Tear duct obstruction has some impact on people's lives, and many people don't know what to do when the tear duct is blocked. This situation usually requires treatment in a hospital.

(1) Probing and cannulation:

The method of repeatedly probing and gradually enlarging the probe to expand the nasolacrimal duct can be used. This method is effective for a small number of mild obstructions or fibrin adhesion obstructions, but it is difficult to be effective if there is already a fixed scar. Avoid force when probing the nasolacrimal duct, as damage to the nasolacrimal duct mucosa will create false passages and open up a path for the spread of bacterial infection. Do not rinse after probing, especially do not rinse under pressure, to avoid extravasation of the flushing solution and inflammation of the tissues around the lacrimal duct. Also avoid damaging the lacrimal puncta and lacrimal canaliculi. Scar formation can block the tear ducts, making treatment more difficult. Therefore, if 2-3 expansions are unsuccessful, further operations will do more harm than good. After probing, a suture such as silk, intestinal, polyethylene or silicone tube is placed and left in place for 3-6 months to form a channel.

(2) Blockage incision:

There are many ways to make the incision: incision with a special knife, electrocoagulation or electrolysis, and incision of the blockage from the upper route or retrograde route into the nose, but the results are all unsatisfactory.

(3) Nasolacrimal duct graft surgery:

After probing and enlarging the nasolacrimal duct, a prosthetic tube with an inner diameter of 1.5-3mm was inserted.

(4) Dacryocystorhinostomy:

The ideal way to treat lacrimal sac obstruction is dacryocystorhinostomy.

(5) Laser lacrimal ductoplasty:

Laser technology has developed rapidly this year, using Nd:YAG near-infrared light. Because it causes minimal damage to adjacent tissues when vaporizing tissue, less scar formation is observed after surgery. This surgical method uses laser to open the narrow obstruction of the tear duct, common tear duct or nasolacrimal duct, combined with drug infusion, to restore the physiological channel of the tear duct.