TEARING DISORDERS
Tears are made by glands located under the eyelids and are eliminated by evaporation and drainage. As you blink, the eyelid spreads the tears over the surface of the eye and pumps the fluid into a duct, which drains into your nose. Irritation of the eye (from misdirected eyelashes) or eyelids (due to blepharitis) can cause excess tear production. Poor eyelid position can lead to inadequate pumping of tears into the duct. Blockage of the duct will cause the tears to back up and spill over the eyelid. As a multitude of problems can cause wet, tearing eyes, a thorough evaluation is needed to determine the causative factors. Medical and surgical treatments are available to alleviate these symptoms.
“I needed a small cyst removed from my tear duct. I was referred to Dr. Onofrey. She offered to do it the same day as the consultation, which was nice. I needed to return after insurance approval. She is the one who brought me into the treatment room, from the waiting room. That is a nice touch. She numbed my eye first with drops, then anesthesia. The whole procedure only took about 10 minutes. She was efficient and thorough. I was nervous about having a procedure done on my tear duct, but she chatted with me and got my mind off of it. The whole experience went much better than I expected. Painless!”
— PATIENT