Dacryocystitis is an inflammation of the tear duct that occurs when the glands are blocked for some reason. The fluid from such a channel enters the sinuses and stagnates there, which leads to the accumulation and reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms, which, in turn, contribute to the onset of the inflammatory process.
With this disease, lacrimation constantly occurs, swelling appears. If you press on the area of the lacrimal sac, then purulent fluid will begin to stand out.
In this article we will consider the features of such a disease as dacryocystitis in adults, the treatment of this pathology.
Reasons
Such a disease occurs when the physiological pathology of the lacrimal glands, for example, if the lacrimal ducts have a congenital narrowing. Sometimes they can be completely covered.
Inflammation of the lacrimal sac can occur for the following reasons:
- injury to the sinus or eyes;
- viral andbacterial infections;
- allergic reactions;
- metabolic disorder;
- diabetes mellitus;
- inflammatory diseases of the nose, provoking tissue swelling in the eye area;
- foreign bodies in the eyes;
- handling chemicals that are harmful to the eyes;
- long stay in a very dusty room;
- decreased immunity;
- overheating or hypothermia of the body.
Dacryocystitis is often diagnosed in newborns. This is explained by the fact that the tear ducts in infants in the first months of life have structural features.
When a baby is in the womb, its tear ducts are closed by a membrane that ruptures at the time of birth. But in some cases, the membrane persists for a very long time even after birth, causing the accumulation of tear secretions and pathogenic microflora in the eye canal.
In adults, dacryocystitis (there is a photo of the pathology in medical reference books) is much less common, and women suffer from it more than men. This is due to the fact that the fair sex has a slightly different structure of the tear ducts.
Symptoms of the acute form of the disease
Dacryocystitis has its own characteristics. Acute inflammation of the lacrimal sac has the following symptoms:
- a swelling appears in the area of the lacrimal sac, and if it is squeezed, then pain occurs;
- there is swelling of the eye, as a result of which the eyelids begin to swell, eyethe gap narrows, which prevents a person from seeing normally;
- severe redness appears in the area of the tear duct;
- severe aching pain occurs around the orbit of the eye, which is replaced by acute if you touch the inflamed area;
- body temperature rises;
- the body becomes intoxicated - malaise, fatigue, weakness.
Symptoms of the chronic form of the disease
In the initial stage, dacryocystitis, the photo of which is not very pleasant to look at, has a painful swelling in the region of the lacrimal duct. To the touch it is very dense, softens after a while. The redness begins to subside, and an abscess appears at the site of the swelling, with a breakthrough of which the inflammation disappears. Instead of an abscess, a fistula is formed, and the contents of the lacrimal canal begin to constantly stand out from it.
Chronic form of dacryocystitis is manifested as follows:
- continuous tearing;
- when pressing on the lacrimal sac, the discharge intensifies;
- an elongated swelling occurs under the sore eye;
- eyelids swell, swell, overflow with blood.
Treatment of acute form of dacryocystitis
If acute dacryocystitis occurs in adults, it should be treated in a hospital. Systemic vitamin therapy, UHF therapy is carried out, and dry heat is applied to the area of the lacrimal sac. With the formation of pus, it is necessary to open the abscess, after which the wound is washed with antiseptics. It could be peroxidehydrogen, dioxidine solution, furatsilina.
The doctor instills antibacterial drops or antimicrobial ointments into the conjunctival sac. At the same time, systemic antibacterial therapy is carried out with drugs that have a wide spectrum of action (penicillins, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides).
Treatment of chronic dacryocystitis
If the acute form of the disease has turned into chronic dacryocystitis (in adults), treatment is carried out mainly by an operative method called "dacryocystorhinostomy", with the help of which an additional message is formed between the lacrimal canal and the nasal cavity. This is necessary so that the pus stops accumulating and the outflow of fluid normalizes.
Sometimes the patency of the nasolacrimal canal is restored with bougienage or balloon dacryocystoplasty.
Bougienage is an operation (dacryocystitis treatment is carried out in this way quite often), due to which the lacrimal canals are cleaned with a special tool, which leads to the restoration of the patency of the ducts. This method is used for frequent relapses of diseases.
During balloon dacryocystoplasty, a probe with a balloon is inserted into the duct cavity, when it is inflated, the internal lumen of the canal begins to expand.
In order not to form a purulent corneal ulcer, patients are prohibited from using contact persons, applying bandages to their eyes, performing any ophthalmic procedures,which are associated with direct contact with the cornea.
Treatment of newborns
If dacryocystitis occurs in newborns, then often anxious parents begin to treat inflammation on their own, washing the baby's eyes with decoctions of various herbs, making tea lotions, purchasing special drops at the pharmacy that the pharmacist advised.
Such methods can bring results, but for a short time. After the treatment is stopped, the baby's eyes begin to water again, sometimes even pus is released. This is explained by the fact that the disease occurs due to physiological pathology, expressed in the obstruction of the lacrimal ducts, and it is impossible to eliminate it only with lotions and drops. Therefore, as soon as dacryocystitis of the eye occurs, at its first signs, the baby should definitely be shown to the doctor.
If a child has such a disease, then special therapy is usually carried out, which consists of massage, application of antibacterial drops and washing the eye with disinfectant solutions.
Massage treatments
Only a doctor can recommend effective ways to eliminate dacryocystitis. One of these methods is lacrimal canal massage, which brings a truly guaranteed result. But he has one contraindication - a severe stage of the disease, which is characterized by the occurrence of extensive inflammatory processes. In this case, massage is strictly prohibited, since pus can get into the tissues that surround the tear ducts, leading toformation of phlegmon.
The doctor teaches parents how to carry out this procedure. Massage begins with the fact that its contents are squeezed out of the lacrimal sac. In a solution of furacilin, a swab is moistened and the released pus is removed. Lacrimal duct massage is best done before feeding.
Squeezing movements should not be too soft, but not strong. Due to this effect on the lacrimal sac, the gelatinous membrane is pushed into the canal. Massage is effective only for newborns, it no longer brings proper relief to older babies.
Conclusion
If a pathology such as dacryocystitis (in adults) occurs, treatment should be started as early as possible, since there is a high probability of various complications. Some can be very serious, resulting in decreased vision. Newborns are most often prescribed massage. If it does not help, then probing is carried out, the effectiveness of which is quite high, after which the baby gets rid of this pathology forever.
