Inflammation of the lacrimal duct

Dacryocystitis is an inflammation of the tear duct, located between the inner corner of the eye and the septum of the nose. The main symptom of such inflammation is the obstruction of the tear duct. Usually, dacryocystitis is formed due to the impassability of the duct of lacrimal secretions in the sinuses of the nose. At the same time, pathogenic bacteria accumulate in the tear duct, leading to an accelerated development of the inflammatory process. Inflammation can develop in two main forms: acute and chronic.

Causes leading to inflammation of the tear duct are somewhat:

• Congenital obstruction of lacrimal ducts;
• Damage to lacrimal ducts;
• Infectious ophthalmic diseases and their aggravation, as well as the negative consequences after them.

Infection of the lacrimal canal often occurs in newborns. For this type of inflammation , ophthalmic doctors even introduced a special term - inflammation of the lacrimal duct or dacryocystitis of newborns. Sometimes due to hypoplasia of lacrimal ducts in infants their obstruction is formed. It is not uncommon for secondary infection, and then for inflammation. However, the situation changes radically with the passage of time, as the children's organism develops and acquires new abilities to combat inflammation. The situation with adult patients is quite different. Dacryocystitis can be caused by a complication after a trauma or an infection of the sinuses of the nose. There are cases when inflammation of the tear duct occurs even after a simple cold. And very often the cause of dacryocystitis remains unsettled.

The following clinical symptoms of dacryocystitis can be named:

• Most often unilateral, that is inflamed only one eye or even one side of the whole face;
• There is a very strong tearing;
• Is also manifested in intense redness, swelling and painful pains in the region of the inner corner of the eye;
• Visible discharge from the eye.

Inflammation of the lacrimal canal: treatment

Diagnose dacryocystitis as follows. First, the degree of infection and the presence of an accompanying ophthalmologic disease are determined. Dacryocystitis therapy is directly dependent on the age of the patient, the form of the disease (acute or chronic) and the reasons for its development.

If the inflammation of the lacrimal canal is diagnosed in a child, he is usually prescribed a massage in the area of the lacrimal ducts in order to relieve the nasal cavity of the obstruction for the isolation of tear fluid. Plus, in the eyes of the child instilled antibacterial drops, and also use ointments to reduce inflammation. If the medication does not help, they resort to surgery.

Before surgery, the patient is prescribed strong antiseptic treatment to exclude the possibility of complications after an infectious disease. Particular attention must be paid to the possibility of negative consequences for the brain. The fact that venous blood can flow through the infected area, and then get into the brain, which is likely to cause the development of cerebral abscess or purulent encephalitis. Operative intervention is under general anesthesia, the essence of the operation is the restoration of a healthy duct between the nasal cavity and the cavity of the conjunctiva.

Treatment of an infected tear duct of an adult patient involves washing the lacrimal ducts with solutions of antibacterial agents. If therapy does not have the proper effect or the inflammation of the tear duct becomes chronic, an adult will also need surgical intervention. In this case, the endoscopic method of treatment is used, when a cut is made in the nasal mucosa. This method is painless in comparison with the operation, when there is an external incision, and not an internal one.