Blocked tear ducts misery/ Tear duct surgery

[localnotail]

I had problems with my eyes for a while, started noticing I get tears running down my face, especially in the wind or if its cold. I had an appointment with eye clinic and was told I have blocked tear ducts. They made an attempt of flushing them but it did not work. I was offered a surgery to create another tear duct - basically, general anaesthetic, making a hole from my nose to the eye which involves either breaking through the bone from the inside of the nose, or if it doesn't work, cutting it the outside so I would be left with a scar on my face. Then you would have a tiny tube inserted and it works like the normal tear duct, draining teras into the nose. I refused, as it seemed quite extreme and my problem wasn't so bad.

However, now it got much, much worse. My eyes are constantly wet and irritated, I cant wear make up as it ends up running down my face, in the morning my eyes are gooey and awful. I'm really miserable. I also feel like a freak as I don't know anyone who had this, or had the surgery... I'm really at my wits end...Is there any way to remedy the problem without having to go through my face being cut? I really don't want going under GA, and, as its my face, I'm terrified of things going wrong. But I'd love to be able to wear make up and not to worry about tears streaming down my face non stop((

It's a miserable thing OP I experienced exactly this, and it spontaneously resolved after about 6 months. I've had it a couple of times since, but only for a couple of weeks at a time. Hopefully same will happen for you

Thank you! But I have it for two years now, and its getting worse. From what I understood from my appointment, my tear ducts that supposed to drain the tears from the eyes into the nose are blocked so the tears cant drain and just run down my face (( they put a thin needle into the tear duct and squirted saline solution into it, I was supposed to feel salty taste in my mouth but I felt nothing, it all just run down my face instead ((

That sounds tough. Is there anything else you can try before surgery?

My mum had similar to this following chemo and I’m sure she had stents put into her tear ducts. They basically forced them to be open. She was awake when they did it and said it wasn’t particularly nice but it did seem to work!

I had that exact surgery many years ago, my face wasn’t cut, it was done by an ENT surgeon and an ophthalmologist. It worked an absolute treat and after several years of a constantly watering eye, it stopped straight after the surgery. The only facial sign I’d had anything done was a slight swelling and a small bruise on the side of my nose. It was done under a GA so an overnight stay in hospital (private) but honestly, I was and still am so glad I had it done.

@LateMumma this is what I'm trying to find out...

@HEIHEI23 I was told once the ducts close up there is nothing you can do. I would imagine your mum had the surgery I was offered (where they create a new duct and put a tube in it)

@Femalefootyfan I was told that once I'm under the GA they will try to do it from the inside of my nose, however, if it doesn't work they will do it externally without waking me up, so I will have a cut running from the corner of my eye to the nose - seems like its a common practice. I had a consultation at Moorfield Eye Hospital after getting a letter from my GP and emergency eye clinic, and I was offered the surgery on the NHS. It was a trial to get to that point but I did not expect surgery being the only answer, I was hoping for some non-surgical treatment. I felt stupid for refusing it (after getting through so much to get the Moorfield appointment) but it just seemed too excessive.

I’ve had this surgery twice. On my left eye I had it done internally, by breaking the bone in my nose. A few years later my right eye was operating on, by cutting externally.
The recovery from the internal operation was harder, it took longer and I felt sore for longer. The external surgery, in comparison, was easy and my scar is not at all noticeable a few years on.
But honestly, either way was fine and just meant a little discomfort for a short period. I could not live any longer with the constant tears streaming down my face. I was getting constant eye infections due to the stagnant tears sat in the corner of my eye. I ended up with a huge abscess in my tear duct, resulting in a week’s stay in hospital and the possibility of losing the sight in one eye. I would recommend surgery. It really isn’t as bad as it sounds.

@localnotailhi op. I have the same symptoms as you and was wondering if your eye has resolved/you had the surgery? x