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About a blocked tear duct

Tears flow from the eye to the nose through narrow tubes called tear ducts.

A blocked tear duct usually happens when the membrane inside the lower end of the tear duct, in the nose, is slow to open after your baby is born. This creates a blockage. Although the blockage is usually present from birth, it might not be obvious until your baby is around one month old.

Blocked tear ducts are common. About 1 in 20 babies are born with a blockage in one or both of their tear ducts.

Symptoms of a blocked tear duct

If your baby has a blocked tear duct, their eye will water constantly or almost constantly. When your baby wakes up, they might also have a discharge from their eye. You might hear these symptoms called ‘watery eyes’ and ‘sticky eyes’.

Other than the watering and sticky discharge, your baby’s eye is OK.

Rarely, the tissues around the tear duct get infected because of the blockage in the tear duct. If this happens, you might see a hard lump near the inner corner of your baby’s eye. The lump might look red, purple or black depending on your baby’s skin tone. The skin around the eyelid might also change colour.

Medical help: when to get it for babies with symptoms of a blocked tear duct

You should take your child to your GP or child and family health nurse if you’re concerned about your baby’s blocked tear duct or you notice any of the following:

  • The whites of your baby’s eye or eyes look red.
  • Your baby has a hard lump on the inner corner of their eye.
  • Your baby’s eyelids change colour and are swollen.
  • Your baby’s cornea looks cloudy or bigger than usual.
  • There’s a greenish discharge from your baby’s eye.
  • The tear duct is still blocked after your child has turned one year old.

You should also take your baby to a GP if they seem to be sensitive to light, are constantly squeezing their eyes shut, or have other eye or vision symptoms that worry you.

Treatment for a blocked tear duct

A blocked tear duct usually gets better by itself, when the membrane blocking the tear duct opens. This usually happens by the time your baby turns one year old.

If the skin around your baby’s eye is irritated, you can gently clean the skin and apply a soft white paraffin ointment like Poly Visc or Lacri-Lube several times a day. These ointments are available over the counter at pharmacies.

Your GP or child and family health nurse might show you how to massage the tear duct on the side of your baby’s nose to help empty the tear duct of the sticky discharge.

If your baby has an infection around the tear duct, your GP might prescribe a course of antibiotics.

If the tear duct is still blocked after your child turns one year old, your GP might refer you to an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist might recommend a procedure to open the duct. This would probably involve using a fine probe while your child is under general anaesthetic.

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Member Organisations

  • Parenting Research Centre
  • The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
  • Murdoch Children's Research Institute

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