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Tear-Duct test for Dry Eye

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  • Tear-Duct test for Dry Eye

    This is just a heads-up story / cautionary tale about my dry eye/bleph experience with an ophthalmologist.

    I saw an ophthalmologist early last year. I told her of my dry-eye/bleph symptoms and she did a tear-duct test, to rule out other things that might be causing tearing eg. clogged tear ducts, nasal cavity infection, etc.
    For the tear-duct test, the Ophthalmologist uses that skinny instrument they stick into your tear duct, and then runs a saline solution through it — like a straw.
    If the saline runs into the back of your throat and you are swallowing it, that means it's probably dry-eye, and not something more like a clogged tear-duct.
    If the saline solution pours back OUT, that means there is a blockage of some sort, and Dry-eye is probably not the cause of the tearing.
    She put the little probe into my tear duct, and the saline solution poured back OUT of my eye.
    She then concluded I must have a nasolacriminal duct obstruction. She immediately asked if I wanted to have a procedure done at the hospital -- a Lacricath probing, and I declined.
    I declined, because I just was in shock that there was a "blockage" in the first place.
    Thing is, I had the same tear-duct test maybe 3 years prior with another Ophthalmologist, and the saline solution ran right back into my throat and i was swallowing it -- no blockage. But, maybe there was some changes for the worse?

    She said she'd do a check-up with me if I liked in a year. My family doctor then made an appointment with an ENT (Ear, nose and throat) specialist. I had no idea what this specialist was, but hey, if it's a new person who might be able to help me with my tearing eye, why not?
    So I see this ENT, and he gives me a requisition form to get an x-ray of my face, and says he might be doing "lots of work" on me. I didn't know what that meant, but I think it all started making sense -- he was talking about serious invasive surgery!

    It was like I had fallen down the rabbit hole and I was in the twilight zone.

    I talked to my family doctor about it, and he looked seriously unimpressed with me. I understand that family doctors see a lot of patients in one day, and the only thing doctors have to go on, are the letters they get back from the specialists, with test results. He showed me the letter stating I had refused her "Lacricath probing", and that I had a nasolacrminal duct obstruction.
    It was in writing. And he did not believe me at all — and he made that quite clear.
    My doctor looked seriously peeved at me -- like I was the problem, like I was not respecting and trusting the specialists.

    So I gave it a rest. I didn't do the X-ray. I didn't talk with my Ophthalmologist. I did nothing. So 9 months goes by. My tearing eye is still bothering me, so long story short, I get another appt with another different Ophthalmologist in another city. (My city only has 2 Ophthalmologists). So I see this new Ophthalmologist, and he also does the tear-duct test.
    I was nervous days before the appt. Because if he did the test, and the saline solution poured back OUT, that meant I really did have something more serious going on with my tear-ducts and would require surgery or more serious invasive procedures.
    So he sticks in the little skinny probe into my tear-duct, and the saline solution..... pours into the back of my throat and i’m swallowing it...

    Wow.
    So, there was no obstruction or clogged tear-duct in the first place.
    My doctor and I went more than a year thinking maybe there was an obstruction.

    Whatever the Ophthalmologist in my city, had done, it was done wrong.
    Maybe the probe (whatever the medical term is for the tool) was put into my tear-duct at the wrong angle?
    I still have to deal with a tearing eye, but i’m relieved it’s not something more serious that requires invasive procedures and surgeries.

    If you are unsure about a doctors test, don’t wait too long like I did to get a 2nd opinion sooner.
    Last edited by wakeupscreaming; 22-Jul-2019, 19:57.

  • #2
    Wow, that's very frustrating. That's good it's not something more serious.

    I actually found your post because I've been experiencing sudden excessive tearing in one of my eyes. I already have bleph/dry eye / possible MGD, so I really don't know what would be causing the tearing. I'm suspecting a blocked tear duct. I'm glad I read your story before I make an appointment at the eye doctor.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Feli12 View Post
      Wow, that's very frustrating. That's good it's not something more serious.

      I actually found your post because I've been experiencing sudden excessive tearing in one of my eyes. I already have bleph/dry eye / possible MGD, so I really don't know what would be causing the tearing. I'm suspecting a blocked tear duct. I'm glad I read your story before I make an appointment at the eye doctor.
      Thanks Feli12,

      All I can say is I have had tearing of the eye off and on chronically for years, and unfortunately doctors have not been able to help me... yet.
      My own personal case, is i think it's a chronic bacterial infection maybe from the eyelids? And maybe it isn't strong enough to cause serious problems, but it's enough to maybe clog the tear duct enough for the tears not to drain properly?
      The ophthalmologist that i just saw, recommended I take "Systane" eye drops because they just thought I have "dry eye" (which i don't agree with). And after i've used Systane, my eyes got even more watery and more tearing.
      I read somewhere that if this side-effect occurs. to stop Systane immediately, because that's indicative of a bacterial infection. I'm now trying to find out where I recently read this. I know what I read -- now I want to show my doctor it, and now I can't find it! lol.

      BTW, the ophthalmologist that got it WRONG and said it was a blocked tear duct, also should have noticed that if i had "sinusitis" which is an infection of the nasal cavities, i would have had a huge red BUMP on my face around my nose bridge/cheek area that would have been very noticeable by ANYONE. It would have been like a big pimple -- it would have been noticeable.
      And just touching my cheek area would have been painful to the touch -- which I do not have, and have never had. I'm not going to rant about her anymore, because it won't change anything by saying bad things about that Dr. lol.

      Doctors and Specialists are not gods. They never were and never will be. The best you can do is get a good doctor that is looking out for you, otherwise you almost have to manage your own health and read up and educate yourself as much as you can. And even if your Dr. is good, they see about 200 patients a week. They aren't going to remember every little detail about your health situation.

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