The patient is placed under local or general anesthesia and the surgeon then makes an incision and inserts a stent for drainage. Recovery takes about a week and, after several months, the doctor might remove the stent. The Mayo Clinic has an overview of blocked tear duct treatment.

Treating a blocked tear duct

1. Balloon catheter dilation. Your doctor guides a very thin catheter through the blockage in the tear duct, starting from the nose.
2. Stenting or intubation. Your doctor threads a thin tube through the puncta and throughout the tear drainage system to the nose.
3. Surgery.

The following techniques are intended to improve the drainage of fluid within the eye, thereby lowering pressure:

1. Laser therapy. Laser trabeculoplasty (truh-BEK-u-low-plas-tee) is an option if you have open-angle glaucoma.
2. Filtering surgery.
3. Drainage tubes.
4. Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).

If you think your child has an eye infection, take them to a doctor instead of trying these home remedies.

1. Salt water. Salt water, or saline, is one of the most effective home remedies for eye infections.
2. Tea bags.
3. Warm compress.
4. Cold compress.
5. Wash linens.
6. Discard makeup.

Antihistamine pills and liquids work by blocking histamine to relieve watery, itchy eyes. They include cetirizine (Zyrtec), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), fexofenadine (Allegra), or loratadine (Alavert, Claritin), among others. Some may cause drowsiness. Antihistamine eye drops work well for itchy, watery eyes.

Signs and symptoms of a blocked tear duct include: Excessive tearing. Redness of the white part of the eye. Recurrent eye infection or inflammation (pink eye) Painful swelling near the inside corner of the eye. Crusting of the eyelids. Mucus or pus discharge from the lids and surface of the eye.

Tiny passages called tear ducts run down the sides of your nose and drain tears from your eyes. These tubes can get blocked in any part of the duct. It can happen for different reasons, including the shape of the ducts, an infection — even your age. Some of the most common causes are: A Problem With the Duct.

Most cases of acute, tear-duct infection are treated successfully with antibiotics. In some cases, antibiotic ointment or eye drops may be prescribed. Do not attempt to apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to the eye or the area around the eye.