Three Year Old Has Cold with Blocked Tear Duct

Bless your heart. I had good luck with using baby shampoo, a tiny speck and warm compresses on the eye. I know it is hard to get a 3 year old to hold still so you can just make a "game of it", Like playing pirates! I might tell my son that he could wear a patch if he let mom put a warm cloth on his eye for a few minutes. You could read a book with the open eye as a distraction. Every night at bathtime I would take a little baby shampoo and really clean the eye area with it, you can even use a Qtip to get close. The baby shampoo should not burn even when used close to and around the eye. I thought I was the only 42 year old Mom with a 5 year old. Some days I feel like the elder pre-school Mom. I love it though! Aren't kids so much fun in our 40s! You are my hero with 2!! I would check with an Opthalmologist if this continues, but a lot of times the Dr. will say to use warm compresses.

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My 20 month old son has a runny eye and a runny nose associated with a sinus infections. I also asked if his tear duct could be plugged. The pediatrician told me that this happens in some children, as the sinus cavity is so close to the eye. Antibiotics cleared it up almost immediately.

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All three of my boys had a blocked tear duct as babies and my oldest actually had to have surgery when he was 19 months to have it fixed (there was actually bone there). He is 5 1/2 now and my 3 year old and 17 month old still have a little bit of an issue when they have colds with excessive "stuff" in their eyes. I just do the typical warm compress and massaging the side of their nose to loosen up whatever is causing the problem. Sometimes that won't work though and I just have to wait for the cold to pass. Good luck!

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T.,
if you gett a duplicate, I apologize, I was typing, then the response disappeared.
Anyway, my 2 1/2 yr old had the same problem. At 10 months, we had a proceure to unblock it, after seeing an opthalmologist/specialist. It cleared up right away and had no more probs.
R.

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T. C, You are not alone ok, my month old has recently experienced this and his pediatrician gave us a prescription for
AugmentinMG (Amoxicillin W/Clavulanate).
Maybe you can call and ask your about this prescription. It only took 3-5 days and KJ's was all cleared up.

Our prayers will be with you.

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Hi T.,

The book that I live by when I have questions like this, The Baby Book by William and Martha Sears. It is my baby Bible. Run out and get a copy!

Here's what they say about clogged tear ducts:
Gently massage the tear duct that is located beneath the tiny "bump" in the nasal corner of the eye. Massage in an upward direction (toward the nose) about six times. Do this tear-duct massage as often as you think of it - for example, before each diaper change (he's probably potty trained?). Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic ointment or drops to treat this infection. Occasionally this doesn't work and it becomes necessary for an eye doctor to open these tear ducts by inserting a tiny wire probe into them. This is usually a short, minor office procedure but may require outpatient surgery under general anesthesia. Sometimes in an older child this discharge may be caused by an eye infection called conjunctivitis.

Hope this helps!!

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