Tear duct disorders

Of the various disorders that can affect the lacrimal apparatus of the eye, the most common is obstruction of the tear ducts.

The tear ducts connect the eye surface with the nose, allowing the drainage of tears. A narrowing of the tear ducts (stenosis) prevents tears from flowing properly and causes them to accumulate until they spill onto the cheeks (epiphora). Tear ducts stenosis can be congenital or acquired over time.
The main causes of tear duct obstruction are usually infections, malformations, deviation of the nasal septum or facial trauma (often related to tumours affecting the face).

Symptoms that occur most frequently in cases of tear duct obstruction are:

• more or less abundant leakage of tears, with lacrimation of the eye;
• recurrent conjunctivitis;
• infection of the tear ducts (dacryocystitis);
• facial abscess;
• dilation of the lacrimal sac.

In general, however, symptoms vary depending on the location of the obstacle to outflow.

In order to prevent diseases of the tear ducts of the eye, it is important to keep the nasal passages clean by washing them with saline solution from childhood onwards.

It is important for anyone with stenosis of the tear duct since birth to follow the specialist’s instructions on how to wash and disinfect the nasal passages daily.