Recently a specialist informed us that since it has not cleared up, he should have an operation to open the clogged duct before he is 14 months old. I have spoken to other mothers who say plugged tear ducts have cleared by themselves. Clogged tear ducts in infants, or congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction, is quite common. It is thought to exist in about 75 percent of all babies. However, symptoms from this condition occur in only about six percent of cases.
Tears enter the duct at the puncta, which is the opening on the side of the eye closest to the nose.
They then travel through the duct that opens inside the nose. This is one of the reasons why you get a runny nose when you cry. These tear ducts have a couple of valves in them so that tears flow in the correct direction but don't allow mucous and other nasal contents to flow the other way. Infants with tear duct obstruction usually have this condition because one of these valves, which is deep in the duct, is closed off. Thus, to correct the problem, the valve needs to open.