Tear canals in newborns: massage at home

The birth of the baby gives a whole fireworks display of earlier unfamiliar sensations of unrestrained happiness and all-consuming tenderness. But along with this come the excitement and emotions. One of the problems is dacryocystitis or, otherwise, the obstruction of tear ducts in the child. How to notice the pathology and help the newborn?

Causes of obstruction of the lacrimal canal

Nature thought about the birth of the fetus, its development and appearance. In the womb of the mother, the tear duct of the baby is covered with a special thin film. It is necessary to protect the eyes from infection, which can occur with amniotic fluid. During the birth, the child breaks the film with the first breath or cry. And the eyes begin to function normally. But it happens that the film remains. In this case, doctors say that the tear ducts of newborns are closed . Massage in such situations is the most effective way to correct the problem. In addition, dacryocystitis may develop after birth as a result of injuries, chronic diseases of the nose. Also, the tear ducts may not function because of the irregular structure of the bones of the skull. But in these cases massage will be powerless.

When do you give a massage?

The clinical picture for obstruction of tear ducts is very similar to conjunctivitis. Therefore, doctors often prescribe treatment for this disease. And only when it does not help, consider the option with obstruction. The baby 's eyes are festering, the cilia are sticking together. It seems that eyes constantly have tears. In such cases, the baby needs help. Massage of tear ducts in newborns should be started immediately, as soon as it becomes clear that the medications do not contribute to the improvement of the situation. With his help, the film breaks through, and the glazik stops festering.

How do you massage a tear duct in a newborn?

The first stage of the massage is preparatory. Need to clean the eyes. To do this, you will need a cotton swab, a tablet of "Furacilin" or brewed chamomile. The procedure is simple. For a start, you brew a chamomile or dissolve the capsule in warm boiled water. After moistening the tampon, you should gently follow the eye in the direction to the nose. Continue these simple movements until you remove all pus. After that, you can perform the procedure itself. How to do a tear canal massage in a newborn with their own hands, an ophthalmologist will tell. Since manipulation is performed 5-7 times a day, the mother with the baby needs to go to the hospital if the parents want to entrust this mission to an experienced doctor.

Massage techniques

The most convenient way to do massage with your index fingers. First you need to feel the seal at the base of the visual organ and put your fingers a little lower. Multiply sweep the phalanges from the nose to the eye. A little pus can come out. This moment is very important, because it allows you to clear the tear duct. Then change the tactics and from the base of the eye, run your fingers along the spout downward. Will help visually see how to do massage tear ducts a newborn, photo. One of them is presented below.

The movements of the fingers should be directed downwards. This is how the tear duct is located inside. A little down along the wall of the external respiratory organ, it connects with the nasal passage. The diagnosis is made by an ophthalmologist after he examines the tear ducts of newborns. Massage is prescribed in the first place. Ask him to show the technique several times. Try yourself to execute the movements under his supervision. Do not hesitate to be interested in all the nuances. It is very important to do everything right. Then the massage will be effective, and you can avoid probing the tear ducts. The main thing is not to rush and remember that achieving a positive result is quite difficult. You need to be patient.

Purpose of manipulation

Massage of tear ducts in newborns is necessary in order to remove the film inside. But in order to fully understand how to perform the procedure, you need to know some facts about the structure of the eye and the functions of its components. So, the tear duct starts from the base of the visual organ. It runs down the wall of the nose and joins inside with its cavity. The eye is constantly moistened and cleansed with tears. After washing the optic organ, the tear goes away along with the mud along the tear canal. But without an exit, it all accumulates. The task of the massage is not only to pierce the film, but also to alleviate the condition of the child until it happens.

Why do not drops help?

Unfortunately, many doctors do not notice the problem. And time after time appoint drops. What happens in this case? Drops clear the channel blocked by a mud, the antibiotic kills microbes and there comes "imaginary well-being". Or, in other words, it seems that the glazik has been cured. But, since the channel is still closed, the allocation again appears after a while. Parents again turn to the ophthalmologist. The doctor complains about the inattention of adults, their allegedly incorrect technique of manipulation. And again appoints drops. At the same time, symptoms are constantly removed, and the cause of the disease remains.

Helpful Tips

Massage of the tear duct with dacryocystitis in newborns requires a special approach because of a number of features of babies:

1. Movements should be clear and strong enough, but at the same time careful. Remember that the children have no bone in their noses. In its place is just a cartilage. It is necessary to act carefully so that it can not be damaged.
2. Do not be afraid of the crying of the child. The procedure does not cause pain, only discomfort. In addition, during crying, it is even easier to pierce the film because of the tension in the nasal passages.
3. Be careful when cleaning eyes. The kid turns his head, and you can accidentally put pus in your ear or healthy eye, which will cause new problems.
4. When growing up, the child is more difficult to tolerate the procedure.
5. If the effect is not observed within a month, the lacrimal channels of the newborn remain closed , the massage is useless. And to continue it there is no sense. You should seek help from a doctor who will prescribe the probing.

What is the sounding of the tear duct?

When massage and treatment with drops do not help, they start talking about the need for sensing. This procedure is much more easily tolerated by children up to three months, since they sleep most of the day. Older children begin to show concern, are nervous at the sight of strangers, etc. Very often, parents delay surgical intervention because of fear that the baby will be hurt, the operation will cause him psychological trauma. But in practice the procedure takes only a few minutes.

The baby is wrapped tightly so that he can not push the doctor's hands. Then 0.5% of "Alkain" is dripped into the glaze. This is necessary for local anesthesia. Next, insert the probe into the channel. The film inside is torn. And the tear ducts begin to function normally in the newborn. Massage is no longer needed, but a month the doctors recommend to follow the eyes of the baby and wash them. Mandatory antibiotic therapy is prescribed.

What consequences can be after probing the tear canal?

Immediately after probing with dacryocystitis, the child has a normal functioning of the eye. It no longer tears and does not swell. A few days can still be attended by scant purulent discharge. The worst thing that can happen to a child is crying. Doctors conduct the procedure without the presence of parents, so the kid can be scared. But it's worth to go back to my mother, as he immediately calms down.

Is it worth doing a sounding?

Doctors always give adults a month to think after discovering that the lacrimal canals of newborns are blocked. Massage can always help, but do not experiment longer than the prescribed time. Do not forget that pus in the tear duct. And this indicates the proliferation of dangerous bacteria. The tear duct is in close proximity to the brain. Therefore, dacryocystitis should be considered a rather serious disease. Absolutely no reason to be afraid of sounding. The operation will only relieve the baby of discomfort, and parents - from constant unrest.