If one of your eyes seems to produce more tears than the other, you might have an obstruction in your drainage system, more commonly known as blocked tear ducts. While it may appear that the troublesome eye is overproducing tears, the real issue is that the normal output of tears has nowhere to go, causing excessive fluid in the visible part of the eye and accompanying irritation.
Seeing Eye-to-Eye
To understand a blockage, you should be familiar with a healthy working eye. Your tear gland, positioned just above and to the outside of your eye, produces the fluid which keeps your eyes lubricated, clean, and free of debris. From it, your tears flow down onto the eyeball every time you blink. The inside corner of your eye near your nose is the normal place of drainage, called the nasolacrimal duct or “tear duct.”
The symptoms of a blocked tear duct include increased tearing, or more accurately, tears which drain onto the cheek instead of into the nasolacrimal duct. If this happens in babies, the issue is usually developmental and will likely resolve itself in time as the child matures. Manual massage therapy is a common treatment for little ones with the condition.
Adults, unfortunately, don’t have it so easy. In adults, the area is not still developing, so there’s not as much hope for the obstruction to remedy itself. Causes for a blocked tear duct later in life include injuries, inflammation, tumors, and deterioration due to aging, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you’ve sustained a facial injury and have a blocked tear duct as a result, your doctor may take a “wait and see” approach as the swelling improves. For other causes in adults, medical treatment is usually necessary.
Do or Dye
First, your doctor may verify the problem by placing dye in your eye to observe its course. Another option is to probe the tiny puncta, or holes, where the tears should be draining, in order to dilate the passage and look for the blockage. If the puncta have been weakened and narrowed, the Mayo Clinic notes that sometimes this test doubles as a treatment by widening the passage.
Besides discomfort, leaking, and irritation, blocked tear ducts can be a problem because the risk of infection may increase if the eye is not treated, according to PubMed Health. If the investigative probing doesn’t solve the problem, your doctor will move on to discuss the different surgical procedures available. Today’s technology is on your side, and the whole thing can be done on-site.
An Ounce of Prevention
Since infection and inflammation can cause blocked tear ducts, keep your hands and face clean, and avoid contact with others who have eye infections. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on contact lens application and handling, and throw away old eye makeup like mascara and eyeliner.
Before reaching the status of crisis, it would benefit you to call for an appointment at the onset of symptoms. The treatments for blocked tear ducts have fantastic success rates, but only prevention is 100% successful.
For questions or comments, contact Woodhams Eye Clinic.
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