How do doctors cure your blocked tear duct?

Often surgery: A blocked tear duct from birth can sometimes be opened with gentle, frequent massage and time. In an adult, scarring or anatomical abnormalities often require surgery to treat.

Depends on cause: In children, the cause is often a small membrane that hasn't yet broken. This can be opened through a probing procedure, normally done under general anesthesia. In adults, there are many different types of blockages. Some require probing and stenting while others require surgery. Dacryocystorhinostomy (dcr) surgery is often performed to bypass the lacrimal duct.