An infection in the tear drainage system that can lead to a long term eye infection.
Tears are made by a small organ above the eye under the upper lid.
At the inner corner of each upper and lower eyelid is an opening to a small tube (drainage canal).
The drainage canals carry away tears that have rinsed the front surface of the eye away so fresh tears can come in.
The drainage canals empty into tear sacs, one for each eye.
The tear sacs sit at the top of the tear duct.
Tears move through the sac into the duct and then are dumped into your nose.
Tears spill out of the eyes and into the back of your nose when you cry, although the tears entering the nose are not visible.
That’s why you get a runny nose when you cry.
The tear drainage system can get infected if it becomes blocked and bacteria collect in the ducts or the lacrimal sac.
A blockage near the nose also can cause excessive tearing from the eye.
Harvard health publications
Do not attempt to apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to the eye or the area around the eye, since over-the-counter ointments are not made for use IN the eye and could have irritating ingredients.
Contagious
It is not normally contagious unless pus is coming out of the condition and extra eye hygiene is required
Diagnosis Tests
Bacterial culture – detect infection
Eye examination by a medical health care professional
Fluorescein dye test (tear drainage test)
Dye placed in eye and check if comes through nose to detect blockage
Palpation test (lacrimal sac pressure test) – check if pus is coming from source
Syringing and probing (confirmatory test)
saline placed in eye and check if comes through nose to detect blockage
CT or MRI scan
Cause
Infants: Obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct (Infants with this problem have a narrower drainage passageway that will widen with time as they grow. normally by one years old)
Adults : Tear ducts have become abnormally narrowed by continued growth of surrounding bone.
Nasal injury
Broken nose
Recurrent eye infections that that narrows the duct between eyes and nose
Long term sinus infection/scarring/trauma that narrows the duct between eyes and nose
Meibomian Cyst (Chalazion-Cyst on eye) (differentiated by its location)
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Dacryocystitis in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
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