Blocked Tear Ducts: When To Call A Doctor

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When To Call a Doctor

Call your doctor if you or your baby has:

• Swelling and redness of the eyelid, the eyelid lining, the white part of the eye (sclera), or the tissue around the eye (usually just on one side).
• A fever and symptoms of an eye infection, such as eye drainage and swelling, redness, and tenderness alongside the nose. A baby may be fussy and may rub the affected eye often.
• Difficulty seeing or difficulty moving one or both eyes.
• Eye pain or discomfort.
• Excessive tearing in one or both eyes for more than a week.

The following signs may point to other problems with the tear duct. Call your doctor if you have or if your baby has:

• Thick, yellow drainage in the corner or on the surface of the eye.
• Eyelids that are matted by mucus in the morning.
• A bluish swelling inside and below the lower eyelid (dacryocystocele). In babies, this swelling may appear several days after birth. In adults, this may appear during a period of excessive tearing.
• A reddish swelling inside and below the lower eyelid. The eye may have crusty mucus drainage, and the area below the eyelid may be painful.

Call your doctor if you notice excessive tearing in one or both eyes and have:

• Pain, tenderness, or a feeling of pressure in your face and forehead over the area of your sinuses. For more information, see the topic Sinusitis.
• Bloody nasal drainage that lasts for more than a day.

Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting for 1 to 2 weeks is appropriate in most cases of blocked tear ducts in babies. They usually clear up on their own or with treatment before the baby's first birthday.

Watchful waiting for 1 to 2 weeks also is appropriate for adults with a blocked tear duct without signs of infection. The condition may clear up on its own.

Watchful waiting is not appropriate if you develop excessive tearing in one or both eyes and you:

• Had a recent injury to your face or nose.
• Have signs of infection (such as thick, yellow drainage or crusted mucus in the eye).
• Had recent nasal or sinus surgery.

Who To See

A child or an adult with a blocked tear duct may see:

• A family medicine doctor.
• A nurse practitioner.
• A physician assistant.
• A pediatrician.
• An eye care specialist (ophthalmologist or pediatric ophthalmologist).
• A nose and throat specialist (otolaryngologist).

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

Last updated:	April 11, 2008
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Christopher J. Rudnisky, MD, FRCSC - Ophthalmology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC