One condition that babies and children can sometimes suffer from is a blocked tear duct. Tears are important for maintaining optimal eye health, so, when your child has a blocked tear duct, it’s important to take them to an eye doctor and to have their condition treated so that your child’s vision and eyes aren’t affected by their condition. Here is some information regarding blocked tear ducts in children to know about: Pediatric Ophthalmology Lakeville MN
What is a blocked tear duct?
When the nasolacrimal duct, which drains tears from the eye into the nose, becomes clogged (due to infection, trauma, etc.) or, more usually, is blocked from birth, a blocked tear duct arises (congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction).
What are the symptoms of a blocked tear duct in children?
Symptoms can vary, but some common ones are as follows:
Wetness on the child’s cheek or tears falling on the cheek
Tears forming a pool
Reddening of the skin around the eyelids
Yellow discharge or mucus
The majority of children with a basic case of having a blocked tear duct have no other symptoms. However, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of infection near the tear duct, such as: redness, pain, swelling, and fever.
How to know if your child has a blocked tear duct?
A blocked tear duct is typically diagnosed via a thorough physical examination and review of the child’s symptoms. A blocked tear duct in a child is usually diagnosed if they exhibit the typical symptoms for blocked tear ducts. However, it’s important to remember that many newborns do not begin crying until they are about two weeks old or older, so you may not notice any symptoms of a blocked tear duct for a while even if your baby is born with it.
If your child is diagnosed with pink eye on a regular basis, especially if their eye is not normally red, they may have a blocked tear duct as well and should be assessed by a professional eye doctor.
If your child is showing symptoms of having a blocked tear duct, or you have reason to believe that they might have a blocked tear duct, then you should take your child in to see a pediatric ophthalmologist near Lakeville MN, like Insight Vision, as soon as possible so that their eyes can be examined and diagnosed and treatment methods can be recommended or prescribed for them to treat their blocked tear duct.