Why would I wonder what’s inside your nose? Did you know that your eyes are connected to your nose? A series of tubes, called the nasolacrimal system, drains your tears from your eyes and down into the nose. Weird, right?? Within this tearing connection, some people experience strange things. Think about plumbing: sometimes you can find stones. Sometimes you can get a blockage that causes an overflow of water (tears). Sometimes you just find weird gunk in there. This is true for your nasolacrimal system, too!
Stones, Groans, and Moans
First, let’s look at the clog in the drain. Stones in the plumbing can be such a bother. Let’s identify the source of these stones. A common problem seen in mature adults is called canaliculitis. Recurrent infections, usually with a bacteria called Actinomyces israelii, can cause calcifications over time that consolidate into small stones that block the canaliculus and distal nasolacrimal system. This can cause discharge, pain, and tenderness. One of the most satisfying surgeries for us surgeons and for the patients is a canaliculotomy to pop out these little stones and relieve the obstruction.
My Body is like a Garden: I have new growths every day!
Next, we show a gentleman who had a strange mass around the area of the nasolacrimal sac. This is where the tears collect before exiting to the nose. This just happened to be an angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia, or benign growth composed blood vessels. Luckily, this patient was not left with any permanent damage, but still, such a strange occurrence.
Nasolacrimal Experts at Plastic Eye Surgery Associates
Your PESA pals are the oculoplastic experts that can take care of all of these tear drainage problems. If you have a tear plumbing problem, we are your plumbers! We can take care of all of the tearing, infectious, growing problems within or around the nasalocrimal system that you can throw at us. Feel free to read more about tearing and tear drain surgery, or watch our videos about to learn more.
