stick eye - possible blocked tear duct?

[judetheobscure]

My ds - 20 months old - frequently gets a sticky eye. It usually clears up after a few days of bathing it in boiled water. Occasionally we use eye drops. Often happens in conjunction with a cold.

A friend of mine said the same had happened to her son and he was eventually diagnosed with a blocked tear duct and had an operation to correct it. Has anyone had the same and when did you go to the GP about it? Don't like to bother the GP if it's an unlikely scenario, and ds will grow out of it anyway.

[codswallop]

we have this but surely more likely rorm birth as with my son - and its all the time. An infected eye is red apparently

you do grow out of them (blockages) normally by 2 - seems a long time to me

[morocco]

You ds is a lot older than mine but my ds had a lot of conjunctivitus when a little babe but after a few months it stopped. My paed advised rubbing gently in a cirular motion in the corner of the eye (where the eye duct is) and then rubbing the finger downwards by the side of the nose to help encourage the tearduct to open more.

Sorry - I can't really advise any more but HTH

[lou33]

Dd1 had this. Tried a million things to clear it up but reverted to having an op to fix it when she was about 2. Her eyes got so infected before that she would get cellulitis in her cheeks because of it. The first op fixed one eye but not the other, so she had it again a few months later but since then (9 years) she's been fine.

[milch]

morocco, are you sure about rubbing downwards? I thought I was supposed to rub upwards.

[judetheobscure]

just noticed I put "stick eye" in the message title - no I haven't been getting the glue out Thanks for the replies. Ds's "stickiness" comes and goes but the eye is generally a bit weepy.

[codswallop]

Hoorah babys eye is clearer after a day at the beach!! Al that fresh air - or maybe coincidence. Baby 10 weeks now.