What is the cause of blocked tear duct in children?

Children's tear ducts are more prone to blockage. When this happens, parents must not panic. This situation is relatively common, so when it occurs, you must go to the hospital for a check-up to see if there are any complications, such as lacrimal gland inflammation or other eye diseases. Mothers must pay attention to their personal hygiene and not touch their eyes with their hands, as this will further cause infection.

Neonatal tear duct obstruction is caused by the fact that the lower end of the nasolacrimal duct of the newborn has not fully developed for a period of time after birth, and is blocked by a layer of congenital residual membrane or by epithelial cell debris, causing tear duct obstruction. Because neonatal dacryocystitis is caused by congenital hypoplasia of the lacrimal duct, it is also called "congenital dacryocystitis".

If a child is diagnosed with neonatal dacryocystitis, parents should not be too anxious, because the tear ducts of babies within 6 months are still in the stage of continuous development, and conservative treatment can be adopted first. Generally, antibiotic eye drops are used locally, combined with massage of the skin at the greater corner of the eye (tear sac) to promote the flow of tears toward the nasolacrimal duct. This is done 2 to 3 times a day. For more severe cases, the number can be increased to 4 to 6 times, each time for 1 minute. After a period of treatment, the membrane will rupture on its own and the tear duct will be unobstructed. If the symptoms do not improve after a period of time, you can go to the hospital for pressurized flushing of the tear duct to break the membrane. If the above two methods are ineffective, the tear duct probing can be used to puncture the membrane with a probe to make the tear duct unobstructed. However, if the tear duct is blocked due to bony stenosis or nasal deformity, surgery or other methods should be considered to clear the tear duct.

As for the timing of treatment, generally the earlier the better. If neonatal dacryocystitis is not treated for a long time, the prolonged expansion of the lacrimal sac will cause the sac wall to lose its elasticity. Even if the tear duct is unobstructed in the future, the symptoms of epiphora will still exist, and permanent scar occlusion of the tear duct may occur due to persistent tear duct inflammation. In addition, the continuous discharge of lacrimal sac pus into the conjunctival sac can lead to inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea, cause corneal ulcers, and even develop into intraocular inflammation, posing a serious potential threat to the eyeball. Therefore, neonatal dacryocystitis must be treated promptly to eliminate hidden dangers as soon as possible.

So after the above introduction, you must have understood some symptoms. The appearance of this symptom is an early symptom of lacrimal gland inflammation, so it must be treated in time. You must also pay attention to your eating habits, a series of work and rest habits, and paying attention to the baby's rest are all very important factors, so mothers must pay attention, go to the hospital for examination in time, and follow the doctor's treatment advice. It is very important.