After a baby is born, due to incomplete development, they may encounter problems with tear duct obstruction. In such cases, gentle massage can help improve the condition and reduce the risk of infection. If there is no improvement, doctors may recommend tear duct flushing as a treatment method. Parents play an important role in this process, they need to take care attentively and maintain a moderate level of optimism to avoid excessive anxiety.
Regarding the treatment of infant tear duct flushing, this is aimed at a common congenital issue – narrow tear ducts, which usually appear between 3 and 12 weeks after birth, manifesting as constant tearing in one or both eyes. Unlike symptoms caused by silver nitrate eye drops or bacterial conjunctivitis, congenital tear duct stenosis occurs later and is less likely to have purulent discharge. Apart from congenital factors, acquired tear duct obstruction may result from chronic dacryocystitis, severe or prolonged conjunctivitis, and other factors such as deviated nasal septum, rhinitis, polyps, hypertrophic turbinates, and even facial trauma can cause physical obstruction. Prolonged obstruction may lead to dacryocystitis, with mucous or purulent flow when pressure is applied to the lacrimal sac.
There are various treatment options for tear duct stenosis. Most congenital cases tend to resolve naturally around 6 months of age, during which parents can gently massage the lacrimal sac to promote drainage, supplemented with antibiotic eye drops if necessary. If the blockage persists, doctors may perform procedures like lacrimal punctal dilation and probing to intervene medically; for infants, this often requires brief general anesthesia to aid the process.
Generally, infant tear duct obstruction resolves gradually as they grow, with medical intervention needed in a few cases. Treatment strategies revolve around surgery and massage, with emphasis on preventing secondary infections and using eye drops judiciously as a supplementary measure.
