W
- Wet eye
- It is a condition in which the eye contains an overabundance of tears because of inadequate tear drainage. It may be an annoying condition but rarely affects visual acuity. When tears fail to drain properly, wet eye occurs. This may be a congenital or acquired condition. Congenital wet eye occurs as a result of obstructions to the nasolacrimal ducts. Symptoms include tearing, crusting of the lids or eyelashes, mucous discharge, and inflammation of the lacrimal sac. Obstructions often clear spontaneously within the first twelve months of life. After this time, obstructions are cleared surgically by simple probe and irrigation, silicone intubation procedures, or the more serious surgical procedure of dacryocystorhinostomy.
The probe and irrigation procedure is a five-minute operation that involves syringing the obstructed area under general anesthetic. The silicone intubation consists of inserting and looping a tiny silicone tube through the tear-duct system to link the upper and lower puncta. The tube is tied and left in the tear-duct system for several months.
A dacryocystorhinostomy is a surgical operation that connects the lacrimal sac to the nasal cavity. Acquired obstructions usually occur in middle age, and most commonly among women.
