Dacryocystitis: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Dacryocystitis treatment helps patients get rid of the infection of the tear sac or the lacrimal sac which causes pain, swelling and redness in the lower eyelid or the epiphora. In case of acute dacryocystitis, the affected lacrimal sac gets surrounded by cellulitis. This condition can also turn into an orbital cellulitis if it starts spreading to involve the orbits. When there is a blockage in the lacrimal duct which allows bacteria to start building up in the tear sac, infections start developing.

Antibiotics are often suggested as a mode of treatment as these drugs try to kill the bacteria which cause the infection. In a normal circumstance, the antibiotics are taken by mouth, however, in case of a severe infection; you may have to get the antibiotics through an IV. You need to use warm compression a few times a day to relieve the pain as well as swelling. Once the swelling, redness and the pain is over, you will have to get a dacryocystorhinostomy surgery which bypasses the blocked duct and subsequently allows the tears to flow directly to the nose. This surgery helps you prevent yourself from getting infected again by removing a bone which is located nearby.

The treatment for dacryocystitis starts when doctors see a visible redness, swelling and pus or cloudy discharge coming from the eyes. Oral antibiotics help in getting rid of the infection quickly. In certain cases, the doctors can prescribe using steroid eye drops to reduce the pain and swelling that might be causing the blockage. For people who have more severe symptoms, intravenous antibiotics are often suggested. The infection maybe caused due many different reasons like an injury on the nose or eye, a sinus inflammation, a growth of nasal polyps inside the nose or even foreign object inside the duct.

Any individual who is suffering from acute dacryocystitis requires a surgery to widen the tear ducts or bypass the blockage often. This surgery is known as dacryocystitis and helps relieve the pain and the swelling by using a laser surgery to remove the part of the bine which tries to widen the path for the tear ducts and removes any obstruction. Anti-inflammatory medications and over the counter pain relievers are also used to manage the pain and the fever as a temporary solution, until the surgery takes place. This infection does not have a long term effect on the patient.

The steroid eye drops can have side effects like increased sensitivity to light, different allergic reactions, temporary cloudy vision and even a stinging or burning sensation. The surgery of dacryocystorhinostomy can also cause another infection. You might have the scars and bruises after getting the surgery as well.

Patients need at least a week or two to rest after the surgery is done.

The steroid eye drops start from Rs 90 to Rs 300.

The results of the surgery is permanat. Patients have little to no discomfort after the procedure is completed.