Blocked tear duct

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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing tear glands and tear ducts Tear glands and tear ducts

When you have a blocked tear duct, your tears can't drain normally, leaving you with a watery, irritated eye. Blocked tear ducts are caused by a partial or complete obstruction in the tear drainage system.

Blocked tear ducts are common in newborns, but they usually get better without any treatment during the first year of life. In adults, a blocked tear duct may be due to an injury, infection or a tumor.

A blocked tear duct almost always is correctable. Treatment depends on the cause of the blockage and your age.

Symptoms
References
  1. Riordan-Eva P, et al. Vaughan & Asbury's General Ophthalmology. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=720. Accessed Jan. 3, 2013.
  2. Dantas RRA. Lacrimal drainage system obstruction. Seminars in Ophthalmology. 2010; 25:98.
  3. Cohen NA, et al. Prevention and management of lacrimal duct injury. Otolaryngology Clinics of North America. 2010;43:781.
  4. Dacryostenosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/print/eye_disorders/eyelid_and_lacrimal_disorders/dacryostenosis.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2013.
  5. Nasolacrimal duct obstruction. American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. http://www.aapos.org/terms/conditions/72. Accessed Jan. 4, 2013.
  6. Yanoff M, ed., et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/212799885-2/0/1869/0.html. Accessed Jan. 3, 2013.
  7. Karim R, et al. A comparison of external and endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy for acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Clinical Ophthalmology. 2011;5:979.
  8. Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 14, 2013.
DS01096 Feb. 13, 2013

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