How to Safely Perform Tear Duct Massage for Your Baby at Home
Doctor explains how to safely perform a tear duct massage for your baby to relieve a blocked tear duct, a common issue in newborns. Learn the symptoms, step-by-step technique, and when to seek medical help.
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Topic Breakdown
If you've noticed that your baby's eye is constantly watering, they may have something called a blocked tear duct. In this blog post, I'm going to teach you how to safely and correctly perform a tear duct massage for your baby at home to help solve this issue. A blocked tear duct occurs in around five percent of newborns, making it a relatively common problem. Thankfully, it doesn't damage the eyes or vision and is typically harmless. In most babies, the condition resolves on its own before they turn one or two years old.
First, let's talk about the symptoms of a blocked tear duct. A blocked tear duct can cause tears to overflow onto your baby's face, making it look like their eye is watering all the time or that the eye is infected. You might notice some clear or yellowish discharge or crusts on their eyelids or eyelashes. Because other conditions, such as infections, can cause similar signs and symptoms, it's always worth getting your baby checked out by a doctor to ensure everything is okay. If it is a blocked tear duct, then a tear duct massage, also known as a Crigler massage, can help open up the blocked duct so that tears can flow through it.
Now, let's cover a practical demonstration of how you can safely and correctly perform this massage at home. If your baby's eye has stickiness and discharge, gently clean it away using clean water and cotton wool. Since you'll be putting your finger close to your child's eyes, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after the massage.
Next, place the tip of your index finger against the side of your child's nose, in the corner of the eye with the blocked tear duct. Make sure to support your child's head while doing this. Press firmly and move your index finger in short downward strokes three to five times. Repeat this process three times each day—in the morning, noon, and night—until the condition settles down. Having a blocked tear duct on both sides is uncommon, but if this is the case, repeat the steps on the other side as well.
Your child may also need eye drops, and if this is the case, your doctor or healthcare provider will give you instructions on how and when to use them.
So, what happens if a blocked tear duct persists despite this technique? The good news is that ninety percent of children with a blocked tear duct will find that it resolves with this simple technique without the need for any further intervention. However, if the symptoms don't improve by the time they are 12 to 18 months old, an eye specialist called an ophthalmologist may consider performing a procedure called syringe and probing. This procedure is done under general anesthetic, meaning your child will be asleep. A very thin instrument is passed into the tear duct to open it up, and the good news is that it's usually successful.
Finally, what should you look out for? In very rare cases, a tender red lump or swelling can appear in the inner corner of the eyelids. This can indicate a serious infection of the tear sac known as dacryocystitis, and you would most certainly need to see your doctor if this develops. I've included a picture of this condition for you to know what it looks like.
If your child has experienced a blocked tear duct and you found this information helpful, or if you just want to share your own experiences to help others, please leave a comment in the comment section. Your insights are incredibly valuable, and I would welcome them.
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Until next time, thanks for reading and take care!
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