Chronic Eye Discharge

Can I sugest something and it may help. Go see an Allergist and get her tested to see what she is allegric to. My son had the same problem and ever time he got a cold or allergy season is in he gets the discharge in his eyes. I have him a Allergy medcine now and he is so much better. He also has astma but that is not the reason he has the infection in his eye. Good Luck with everything

The same type of thing happened to my son around the same age. He would wipe his nose with the back of his hands- even though he was nold not to- then later rub his eyes with his fists transferring the germs and causing an infection. The only things that I can suggest are to work on teaching her to keep her hands out of her eyes, nose and mouth and to wash her hands often. When I would see my son wipe his nose with the back of his hands I would explain to him that since he didn't use a tissue we would have to wash them again. He got tired of having to stop playing to wash up and began using tissues more often. I realize that it is tough, especially at this age, but it will help to keep her from catching things from other people as well.

Both of my kids had this when they were born but outgrew it after only a few months. I do know of some kids that had it and didn't outgrow the blocked tear duct and had to have them fixed. I'm thinking it was an outpatient thing much like getting tubes put in the ears. Don't take my word for it but that is what I am thinking. All of the kids that I know that had it done, had it done around their 1st or 2nd b'day. Good luck!

I don't know if this specialist exists but someone like a pedio optometrist might help. Maybe you can call an opthal- mologist's office in your area for advice or a doctor who specializes in that. Is there a childrens' hospitial in your area that you can call? That is pretty frequent for your baby to have without a good reason and a remedy. I wish you the best....M.

I had this problem with my oldest daughter who is now almost 7. After a while the doctor finally said she had blocked ducts. There is a quick procedure to fix the problem for good. It sounds horrible and the thought of it made me cringe but it took only a couple of seconds. They will actually stick a small "probe" into the duct and clear it out. Of course, at the time I was seeing a civilian doctor, now that we are military overseas, I have discovered the military docs arent quite as experienced.

Has your peds doctor checked to see if their tear drops are clogged? My neice had that problem and they did a very quick and milt surgery to unclogg her tear drops

L., what your daughter is getting is an infected tear duct. ALL of my children have had them. I get a prescription for erythromycin ointment which clears it right up. With my kids it has always had to do with allergies (although we didn't know about all the allergies until years later). On the positive side, it pretty much cleared up by the time they were 3. Now, at 5 & 6, my youngest two only get it once a year or so when the allergies get REALLY bad. My 14 year old hasn't had it in years.

Hi!
My baby girl had those symptoms when she was a newborn and I thought she had an eye infection. Her pediatrician said it was a blocked tear duct. He did give me drops to give her when the discharge was yellow(I don't remember what they were or how many times a day I gave them to her. And he told me (and showed me how) to massage the corner of her eye with my finger tip 20x a day (any time I thought of it, basically). Eventually it went away, but now and then it gets a little gunky again. She'll be 9 month on Friday. This sounds similar to your little one, and I doubt it will clear up on it's own (obviously, right? or it would have by now!) Hope that helps you.
stay at home mom of 3

Dear L.,

My name is M., I am a single mom of three and my oldest has had eye problems since I can remember. She got glasses at three but no major problems. She has very sensitive eyes so her opthamoligist says and because of that she prescribed an alergy eye drop called Alamast it is very gentle on her eyes and it stops the itching which I have found causes discharg b/c she is always rubing dirt and other things in the tear duct area. For years I got the advise from her Dr. that it is just a blocked duct and to wipe it with a warm cloth, that is all fine and dandy but when that did not relieve the nasty crusty discharge, I finally took her to an eye dr. who upon an examine figured out she needed glasses and that she has eye allergies. Alas that was seven years ago and we are in much better shape because of her eye dr. although we still have the normal pink eye every now and then. You will find out that it is normal when they hit school of any sort to get pink eye.
I hope it helps, M.

It sounds like our daughters have a lot in common. Mine had the same thing - minus the official infections. She always has lots of sleep in the corner of her eye - every morning. And there was so much stuff draining that for about a year, the only time you could see her bottom eyelashes were immediately after a bath. Anytime she had even a hint of a runny nose or cold, yellow stuff came out. Once it was so bad, it looked like puss coming out. Not fun for her or me - who had to get her to let me clean it with a warm cloth several times a day!

My daughter's pediatrician told me to "massage the tear duct" which did NOT work. I tried that and then got frustrated. So, We saw the pediatric ophthalmologist when she was about 2 years old. She did a thorough eye exam on my daughter and decided that it was so clogged we could try an outpatient surgery to clear it. The way I'd describe it is like a plumber cleaning out a clog - because most of the time that's what it is! The surgeon will go in and break up the clog and the child will be fine. My daughter did great during surgery and the recovery wasn't bad. Yes, there was a little blood at the corner of her eye - but it turned to just pink tears for a few days. Usually, that's all they need to do. There are other things that could be wrong (my daughter eventually needed to put a shunt in her tear duct because it wasn't a clog - it had formed incorrectly) but all are fixable.

So... get a second opinion from a specialist - a pediatric ophthalmologist. Don't be swayed by your pediatrician. You are the mom and you know your daughter best. I can't tell you how great it is to finally see my little girl's eyelashes EVERY day. Even know, a year after the tube came out, I still smile when I look at her eye :)

Good Luck!

L., I have the same problem with my 2 year old son. When he was born, it was a lot worse. My doctor told me to put a few drops of my breast milk in his eyes several times a day. It eventually went away, but still comes back when he has bad colds or allergies. Doctors are really no help. Warm wash cloths don't work. There is this stuff by Simulisan (I think thats spelled right), it is a homeopathic eye drop. They have different types for different symptoms. They work pretty well. I use it twice a day for about a week or two, if needed. The problem went from coming every month to coming once a year.

Hi L.,
My 10 month was born with a blocked tear duct. We were told by our doctor if it does not clear up by 6 months, then we would need to consider surgery. It seemed to get worse with colds and stuff. We went to an eye specialist who looked at her eye and advised that a blocked tear duct surgery was needed in order to cut down on infections as she gets older. We did the surgery in January which lasted not even 5 mins and since then are eye is great. No more discharge that got all over the place (hair, hands, face, eye lashes) and she is a much happier baby too. You might want to ask your baby doctor for a recommendation for a specialist and see what they tell you. If it a block tear duct surgery that is recommended it is quick and painless for the baby but hard on you as a parent. Hope that helps.

I have known several children with clogged tear ducts and typically if it does not resolve on its own by 9 months they will have surgery to correct it. I have not known anyone who's surgery has not been successful.
Good luck.
V. E

My daughter had a similar problem to what you describe, and it was a blocked tear duct. When she was 14 months old, she had a procedure done to probe the tear duct and she has never had a problem since (she is 20 months old now). It was a 5 minute procedure - not a big deal at all. If you are in Spartanburg, send me a private message and I'll let you know the doctor we used.
I would definitely suggest that you take her to see a pediatric opthamologist who is used to dealing with eye problems in babies/children. Good luck!

Hi, my son expiernced this but only for about 3 months. It is a blocked tear duct, which most toddlers do grow out of. Ocassionsaly a procedure is needed to correct this. Very rarely though and most Dr.'s will not do it until they have had sufficent time to grow out of it. My Dr. also suggested doing the warm wash clothes many times daily and also told us of an OTC eye drop that is safe for babies and toddlers. We used this twice a day in combination with the warm rags and he only dealt with this for about 3 months. He is soon to be 4 years old and the first & last time this occurred he was not even walking yet. Check with your Dr. or pharmacist to find a safe OTC eye drop and use the warm rags as much as possible. Also I never had to use it, but I was told of a Vitamin E or C that is a gel cap. I was told to cut the tip open and wipe the liquid on the eye lids, of course this is most effective I assume at nap and bed time. I hope one of these remedies will work for your little one!

I'm sure the Dr told you how to wipe her eyes when you do this and any other time-from the inside out. I don't know about out growing it but my son had this once when he was about 3 months old and his Ped gave me some drops to put in his eye and to use in the other if it started. What I would do in your shoes is demand the Dr tell you the whats and whys of your daughters eyes and if he can't then he needs to get you a referal for someone that can. I'm a military wife and if you are dealing with military DRs then half of them do care cause they get paid regardless and if you are dealing with a cilivan DR they can be a pain because trust me, our insurance hardly gives them more than 75% of what they really charge so most of them don't put forth and effort.

So insist the DR tell you more about her eyes and if he still BSs around-it's time to find a new DR if that is possible!

Good luck
S.

My daughter had a blocked tear duct when she was little. She had surgery to clear it when she was 18 months old and has not had any issues with it since. If you're not getting the answers you need from your pediatrician, ask for a referal to a specialist. Good luck!

When my son was born in April of last year, he had discharge coming out of his eyes as well. It would harden and get stuck in his eyelashes too. The doctor told me that the tear duct was blocked and needed extra help. He prescribed me with a solution called Gentamicin Sulfate. He also told me to massage the inside of his eye, but make sure after I do that to wash my hands. He said it could travel to the other eye if I was careful. He was on it for about 2 weeks and that was it. We have not had anymore problems with his eyes. I would asked your doctor about it. It worked for me and my son, hope you can get to the bottom of the problem.

Hey L.,
Both of my Daughters had the same problem with their eyes. The oldest had it in one and my 18 month old has it in both eyes. My pediatrician told me to massage the tear duct to help unclog it. All you do is, with your index or pinky finger, rub in a circular motion just below the inside corner of the eye. You should notice discharge, it is a little gross, but it will help. It is like anything else that is clogged, if you squeeze it, it will ooze out. It will eventually go away, my oldest is 4 and she has not had any problems. My 18 month old, still has some constant tears when her allergies act up, but there is no longer any yucky discharge. Hope this helps.

my son had a cloged tear duct when he was an infant and had to have s type of creme to put on it and it cleared up in a few days. it sounds like you are describing that.

First. Take that baby to a pediatric opthomologist for a specialists' opinion - your PCP means well but does not have the extensive training for this specific problem. My other suggestion is to keep Johnson & Johnson's baby wash - the plain one in the yellowish bottle - on hand to wash your baby's eye with. It is no-tears so will not hurt or harm her eyes. For some reason J & J works MIRACLES for conjunctivitis.

My daughter had the same problem and it was clogged tear ducts very common with children who also have ear infections. Children who have small eustation tubes often have small tear duct tubes. I was referred to a pediatric eye doctor Dr. White off Washington Ave in Greenville. She showed me a way to expell the discharge and stated if she did not grow out of it they would do surgery like they did for her ears. She used to wake up with her lashed stuck together and unable to open her eyes. I would see if your daughters doctor would refer you to a ped eye doctor to get better information and a great eye exam.

Mother of a 4 year old boy and 2 1/2 year old girl, part-time SAHM.

Hi L.,
My 3 month old has had the same thing since he was born. Just in one eye--weird. His ped said to do the warm washcloth thing too, but also gave us an Rx for erithromyacin. If you remember, it's the stuff they put in their eyes when they're first born. I'm weird about medicine so I haven't even used it yet. I just continue with the washcloth and it has seemed to get better. If you're okay with the Rx, I'd ask your ped for it.
Good luck!
B.

My younger daughter had blocked tear ducts and it sounds like what your daughter has as well. All the doctors assured us they'd clear up by the time she was 2, and if not, they'd operate to unblock them. Neither happened, but they did clean up by the time she was 30 months or so, and she hasn't had an issue since. I'd suggest getting a second opinion for your daughter.

L., You should take your child for a consult with an ophthmalogist, an eye specialist. He will be able to tell you if her infections are related to blocked tear ducts. Good Luck!

Our 10-month old had extremely goopy eyes one day, lots of yellow discharge. We took her to the doctor and she prescribed Vigamox eye drops. Her little eyes were cleared up within a few hours of giving her the drops. We love the drops! Now if she ever gets goopy-eyed, we do a couple of drops and the goop is gone. It has worked great for us.

Good luck!!!

My children used to get this every once in a while when they were babies, but nothing like you are describing and not with any infection. I was always told to gently massage the tear duct by pressing my finger near the eye and rolling my finger gently toward the nose. I have heard that there is a procedure for clearing a blocked duct. I think they have to stick a tube down the duct. I would get a second medical opinion.

You have recieved LOTS of responses to this question. I guess that just goes to show you how common it is. :) I was going to suggest breastmilk if you are nursing your daughter because it has antibacterial properties. It works great, if you have it to use.

Otherwise, she will likely grow out of it and if she is still having problems by the time she is 2, ask for a referral to the specialist.

My niece had the same thing. You are correct in assuming that it is a clogged tear duct. Here is a short excerpt from webmd about it. You may want to talk to your doctor about having a "probe" done.

Most of the time, a blocked tear duct clears up on its own by the time a baby is 1 year old. But you can help prevent infection by keeping the eye clean and massaging the area of the blockage so fluid does not build up in the duct. If signs of infection develop, your baby may need an antibiotic medication.

If the duct remains blocked after your baby is 6 months to 1 year old, a simple procedure (probing) may be done to open the duct. Rarely, babies with blocked tear ducts have a more severe problem that requires more complicated surgery.

Hope this helps!

My friend had to get the surgery for his son. I think they did it around 9 months. It went smoothly and he hasn't had any trouble since.

I have the same problem. I was getting reoccurring eye infections. Went to see my eye specialist, and found out that there is a duct that allows the natural tears to drain from the eye into the the nose. It is suppose to be one way drain, but mine allows the infection or mucas from the nose to go into the eye. (usualy when I blow my nose or sneeze is when it happens.) There are two procedures he told me about to solve the problem. I have chosen to neither because I am almost 40 and can just be more careful. He said they could either plug it or stitch it. It doesn't fix the duct, all it does is allow no drainage one way or the other.
C. M.

My son had the same thing I would put vaseline on his eyes and after a while it went away.He got it from going out in the night.You may also get the doctor to write a prescription for her eyes.Just pray. I really do not think it is tear block because if she cries and tears come out it cannot be block.I think it is a eye infection because some or all kids get it when they are born that is why you see that greasy look over their eyes.

Get her to a Pediatric Opthamoligist. It does sound like a blocked tear duct and there is a quick and easy surgery that will straighten it out. I had a mom tell me the other day after her child's tear duct probe that she did not realize how many times she had wiped her child's eyes prior to the surgery. It is so nice now....

My son had the same thing happen until he was around 11 months, it did clear up on its own. It was a blocked tear duct and all I would do was clean it like your doc said and since my son went to the daycare where I worked at the time we would treat it with either drops or a gel like eye cream. For conjunctivitis, since it did clear up he didn't have to have a surgery to open the duct, my doc mentioned that if it never cleared up by itself then they would have to put my son under with a mild sedative and cut the duct open. But the doc had told me that most the time it clears up as they get older. Hope this helps...

My oldest daughter went through the same thing. There is a chance that she will grow out of it however the older she gets with it still continuing, the more likely it is she will need an intervention. My daughter ended up having two minor surgeries to repair her clogged tear duct at about 16 months and again around 22 months. The first time they cleaned out the duct, basically "rotor rooting" it. But it didn't work for her and the second time they actually put a stent in, which remained for about 6 weeks I think. This was removed in the office with no problem and my daughter has been fine since (she is now almost 5). Both procedures where done under general anesthetic at a surgery center and although children come out of anesthetic very grumpy, she quickly recovered and left me wondering why I had taken the entire day off work (j/k). My other two children have had discharge from their tear ducts from time to time but have both grown out of it.
You are doing the correct thing for this now but should take your daughter to a pediatric opthalmologist for a definitive plan if they think the history warrants it. At the time, a surgery seemed so horrible but now it is a minor blip in my child's medical past.