Blocked tear duct

With a blocked tear duct, tears cannot drain properly from the eye to the nose. This causes a persistently watery or sticky eye and sometimes infection of the tear sac. In babies, congenital narrowing often opens on its own; in adults, the cause needs investigation. Painful redness beside the nose, fever or reduced vision needs prompt assessment.

• A persistently wet eye, a full tear meniscus or tears running down the cheek without crying, often worse in wind, cold weather or with a cold.
• Mucous or yellow-green discharge, crusts on eyelashes and eyelids sticking together after sleep.
• Wash hands before eye care and gently wipe crusts from the inner corner outwards with clean lukewarm water, using a fresh gauze each time.
• Do not rub the eye or share towels, flannels, eye makeup or eye drops with others.
• Arrange an appointment for persistent or recurrent watering, mucus, crusting or skin irritation, especially when only one eye is affected in an adult.
• For urgent GP care outside normal opening hours, call HAP 9252. Call Ambulance 912 only for an immediately life-threatening situation.