Inflammation of the lacrimal canal or dacryocystitis is a disease that develops as a result of impaired patency of the lacrimal glands.
In this case, tear fluid begins to seep into the sinuses.
Let us consider in more detail the symptoms of inflammation of the lacrimal canal and the methods of treatment of this condition.
The main causes of inflammation of the lacrimal canal
Most often, dacryocystitis develops for the following reasons:
1. Strong hypothermia or vice versa, overheating of a person.
2. The presence of severe chronic diseases, especially diabetes.
3. Violation of the general metabolism in the body.
4. A sharp decrease in immunity.
5. Contact of various microorganisms and infections in the eye.
6. The presence of untreated inflammation in the sinuses, which provoke swelling of the tissues located in the area around the eyes.
7. Earlier eye injury.
8. Contact with a foreign object (hair, midges, villi, etc.) in the eyes.
9. Long stay in rooms with dust.
10. Contact with the eye membrane of various irritating vapors.
In addition, this disease is very often detected in newborn babies. This is due primarily to the fact that infants have certain features of the physiological development of the lacrimal canals, so they are more prone to the development of dacryocystitis.
The fact is that when the fetus stays in the womb, a protective membrane covers its lacrimal canals. If the baby has some pathologies, then this membrane can persist even after birth. This will lead to the accumulation of lacrimal secretion in the baby and will provoke the development of pathogenic microflora.
As for adults, they also have this disease, but it is much less common. Moreover, it is known that women are more prone to dacryocystitis than men. The reason for this is the peculiarities of the general construction of lacrimal functions in the female.
Also, in women eyes are often inflamed and because they use various cosmetics on the eyes, which can also provoke their inflammation.
Inflammation of the lacrimal canal: symptoms and possible complications
There are two forms of inflammation of the lacrimal canal: acute and chronic. Each of they are accompanied by characteristic symptoms.
Acute dacryocystitis is usually characterized by the following manifestations:
1. The development of swelling in the area of the inflamed eye.
2. Pain during palpation of tissues near the eye.
3. The appearance of severe swelling in the area of the lacrimal sac.
4. A strong narrowing of the palpebral fissure, which makes it difficult for a person to see.
5. Redness of the lacrimal duct.
6. Disability.
7. Fatigue.
8. Dizziness.
9. Blue tissue.
10. Increase in blood pressure (in adults).
11. Sealing of tissues near the eye.
12. The formation of an abscess at the site of swelling.
13. Loss of appetite.
14. Aching pain in the eye.
Symptoms of chronic inflammation of the lacrimal canal are:
1. Permanent tear production.
2. The appearance of purulent discharge in the area where the abscess formed.
3. Swelling of the eyelids.
4. Pain during blinking.
5. Severe pain.
6. Headache.
7. Sleep disturbance.
8. Irritability.
9. Loss of skin elasticity under the eye (it can become thin, lethargic and easily stretched).
In newborn children, this disease can be detected by the presence of small purulent secretions and swelling on the eyelids. If this condition is not cured, then the child will have constant tearing of the eyes.
In the absence of timely treatment, adults may develop such complications:
1. Phlegmon is one of the most dangerous complications of this condition. Phlegmon can not always open out. In this case, if pus bursts into the patient’s tissues, then it will penetrate into the lacrimal canals and may even seep into the skull. This will cause severe infection.
2. Due to the penetration of pus into the tissue, the patient can not only increase the temperature, but also worsen memory and develop malfunctions of the nervous system.
3. A person may lose sight and consciousness.
Such complications can develop only in the absence of timely treatment and postponement of a trip to the doctor. If you visit a doctor already at the first sign of illness, then the negative consequences can be avoided.
Inflammation of the lacrimal canal: methods of treatment and diagnosis
To identify the form of dacryocystitis, you should undergo the following diagnostic procedures:
1. A smear to identify and differentiate bacteria.
2. Rhinoscopy.
3. Diagnosis of the patient’s eye under a microscope.
4. Introduction to the eye of a special dye for radiography.
General treatment depends largely on such factors:
1. The severity of the disease.
2. The patient's condition and the presence of complications.
3. The patient has concomitant diseases.
4. Reasons for the development of pathology.
5. The age of the patient.
Treatment of adult patients includes the following:
1. Washing of the eye canals with special disinfectant solutions.
2. The use of drops and ointments with antibacterial therapeutic effect. Typically, drugs for this purpose are prescribed: Phloxal, Dexamethasone, Lefomycetin and Ciprofloxacin.
If the traditional drug treatment was not effective enough, then the patient is prescribed surgical treatment. It includes these two procedures:
1. Bougieurage. This operation is aimed at cleansing the lacrimal canals from accumulated pus.
After bougieurage, the tear fluid will no longer stagnate and the total patency of the eye ducts will be restored. In addition, this method is often used when the patient has chronic dacryocystitis and often exacerbates the disease.
2. Dacryocystomy - This is an operation that consists in forming a valve in the lacrimal canal. Thanks to this procedure, pus will stop accumulating.
Treatment of this condition in infants has such features:
1. When the baby has the first signs of the disease, it is very important not to self-medicate the child, but immediately show it to the doctor.
2. Usually, after the diagnosis of dacryocystitis in babies, they are prescribed special therapy, which includes massage.
Tear Canal Massage - This is an important part of the treatment of this disease in infants. The main ban on its implementation is the most advanced form of the disease, in which the baby already has copious purulent discharge and other complications. In this condition, massage can not be done, since there is a risk of pus flowing into the soft tissues, and this threatens blood poisoning.
If the patient has no contraindications, then he can do this procedure. Only a doctor should teach massage techniques. The general process of such a therapeutic event includes the following actions:
1. First, the mother needs to wash her hands well with soap and rinse them in an antiseptic solution. You can also do massage with medical gloves.
2. After this, you need to carefully squeeze out the sacrum and pus, which has gathered in the eyes of the baby. To do this, use a clean cotton swab previously moistened with furatsilin.
3. Only after this, you can proceed to the massage itself. The best time for it is the period before feeding.
4. Massage is done four times a day. In this case, you need to make light circular movements on the sick eye of the child and try to push pus out of it.
5. It is very important not to press too hard on the lacrimal sac, since it is so possible to push the membrane inward, which will only worsen the condition of the baby.
6. After the massage, rub the eye well with a cotton pad moistened with an antibacterial solution.
7. Next, you need to drip the baby's eyes with antibacterial drops.
Instead of medicinal solutions, the use of homemade chamomile decoctions is also allowed, which has an antibacterial effect.
It is important to know, that if the traditional treatment of this disease did not give the expected results, then the child is prescribed sounding. This procedure consists in introducing a probe into the lacrimal canal of the child, which will pierce the membrane, which caused the appearance of dacryocystitis. Such an operation is always done under local anesthesia, so the baby will not feel pain.
After probing, the eyes will be washed with therapeutic solutions against the development of microbes and inflammation.
The effectiveness of this procedure is very high only in the first two months of the baby's life. The result after its implementation is noticeable almost immediately - the child will no longer have constant tearing and swelling of the eyes.
Traditional medicine provides such treatment methods:
1. Using aloe juice gives a very good effect. To do this, you need to dilute the juice in half in warm water and use it to apply compresses to the eyes. Repeat this procedure two to three times a day.
2. The use of thyme, which has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, also bring results. To do this, you need to boil thyme for a couple and insist for several hours. Filter the ready-made broth and rinse it with eyes three times a day.
Before using traditional medicine recipes, you should always consult a doctor.
To prevent dacryocystitis in adults, you need to protect your eyes from irritation in every possible way, maintain immunity and avoid hypothermia.
As for children, unfortunately, newborns cannot be saved from the development of inflammation of the lacrimal canal, since this happens for purely physiological reasons.
