TEAR DUCT OBSTRUCTION - Eye & Vision Message Board

PROWLEY · 02-01-2003, 07:51 AM

Has anyone had a narrowing of the tear duct lining and have had the tear duct dilated or have had a tube inserted? I had been treated for dry eye which was improving... then recently the tears have been welling up in my left eye. I've been told I have an obstruction and the dilating procedure or inserting of a tube would help the drainage.

purple2067 · 02-01-2003, 10:29 PM

I have never had this problem, but I have a question for you..... If you are somehow able to open up the tear duct again and the tears start draining out, will that cause your eye to become dry again? For me, it is a good thing that my tear ducts have been permanently closed. But yours sounds like it is causing you discomfort. What does Dr. O'Brien say?

PROWLEY · 02-02-2003, 12:11 PM

When I came to Dr O'Brien with the problem of having an overflow of tears in my left eye (my right eye seems to be fine) it seemed ironic because he had been treating me for dry eye. I had been using tobradex which seemed to made my eyes less inflamed and he said the tears were staying on the surface on the eye longer and not evaporating. He was very pleased with the progress. He sent me to an oculoplastic surgeon to probe and flush the tear duct to see if there was an obstruction. That doctor believes that there is a narrowing of the tear duct lining. He's been trying to resolve it with medication but if that doesn't work he wil need to dilate it or insert a tube. It seems like it's never as simple as dry eye or wet eye. Inow seem to have tears that stay on the and don't evaporate but now I have a narrowing of the lining of the tear duct. If the tube is inserted it is a surgery. It usually stays in for 6 months and opens the tear duct and is removed.

PROWLEY · 02-02-2003, 12:13 PM

When I came to Dr O'Brien with the problem of having an overflow of tears in my left eye (my right eye seems to be fine) it seemed ironic because he had been treating me for dry eye. I had been using tobradex which seemed to made my eyes less inflamed and he said the tears were staying on the surface on the eye longer and not evaporating. He was very pleased with the progress. He sent me to an oculoplastic surgeon to probe and flush the tear duct to see if there was an obstruction. That doctor believes that there is a narrowing of the tear duct lining. He's been trying to resolve it with medication but if that doesn't work he wil need to dilate it or insert a tube. It seems like it's never as simple as dry eye or wet eye. Inow seem to have tears that stay on the and don't evaporate but now I have a narrowing of the lining of the tear duct. If the tube is inserted it is a surgery. It usually stays in for 6 months and opens the tear duct and is removed.

purple2067 · 02-02-2003, 10:56 PM

Never a simple answer, is it? Our eyes can be dry when they are wet, and wet when they are dry! I really feel for you. My problem is just the opposite. I too have enough tears at the moment, but my tears are NOT staying on my corneas. They are rolling right off down my cheeks. Sigh. What are they going to do with us?

I hope it all works out for you. Do you have any sort of pain from the tear duct obstruction? Is there any kind of x-ray or CAT Scan or MRI that they can do to see if there is an obstruction and how far down it is, etc... If your duct is just narrow then I would think a tube would help open it, but if there is an obstruction, will a tube help it or make it worse by pushing the obstruction in further?