Blocked Tear Ducts in Babies (Sticky Eye)

Blocked Tear Ducts in Babies (Sticky Eye) %uD83D%uDE15
If your baby's eye is always watery or has yellowish crust, it might be a blocked tear duct. Don't worry – it's common and usually harmless! %uD83D%uDE0A Here's what to know:

%uD83D%uDC49 What is it? A blocked tear duct happens when the tear drain (connecting the eye to the nose) is clogged. Tears can’t drain, so they overflow and cause watery or goopy eyescovenantcarepediatrics.com. You might notice it when your baby is a few weeks old as they start making more tearscovenantcarepediatrics.com. It's very common (around 5–10% of babies)healthline.com and mostly just a nuisance – it won’t hurt your baby or damage their eyecovenantcarepediatrics.comallaboutvision.com.

%uD83D%uDD0E Signs to look for: One or both eyes may be constantly teary (even when baby isn’t crying)covenantcarepediatrics.com. You might see tears on the cheeks and some sticky or yellow discharge, especially after sleepcovenantcarepediatrics.com. The eyelids might get a little red from irritation, but the white of the eye isn’t red if it’s just a blocked ductcovenantcarepediatrics.comhealthline.com. It shouldn’t bother your baby much or cause fussinessmedicalnewstoday.com.

%uD83C%uDFE0 At-home care: You can manage this at home. Wash your hands, then use a warm, damp washcloth or cotton ball to gently wipe away any sticky tears or crust from the eyehealthline.com. Try a tear duct massage: with a clean finger, gently press the inner corner of the eye (near the nose) and roll it downward 2–3 timescovenantcarepediatrics.com. Do this a few times a day. Keep it gentle. A warm compress (a warm wet cloth held on the corner of the eye for a minute) can also help open the ducthealthline.com.

%uD83D%uDC69‍%u2695%uFE0F When to see a doctor: Contact your pediatrician if you notice signs of infection: redness in the white of the eye, swelling or tenderness near the eye, a lot of thick yellow-green discharge, or a fevercovenantcarepediatrics.comallaboutvision.com. These could mean an infection that needs treatment. Also, if the blockage isn’t better by about 6–12 months, have the doctor check itcovenantcarepediatrics.com. They can decide if a quick procedure to open the duct is needed – it usually has a high success rate