Question
My baby was born with dacryocystitis. Will it heal on its own if we don’t treat it? What should we do?
Answer
Many children suffer from dacryocystitis, a common condition, but it does not heal on its own. Under a doctor’s guidance, massaging the lacrimal sac can help to disperse the sealed residual membrane, thus re-opening the tear duct. Massages should be performed 3 to 4 times a day. If necessary, antibiotics eye drops and oral antibiotics can be administered to the child. After such treatment, some children may have their tear ducts re-opened, leading to gradual improvement of the dacryocystitis. For patients with tear duct obstruction, consider tear duct irrigation.