Tear Ducts (Lacrimal Drainage)
The lacrimal gland is
an important part of the eye. It is responsible for making tears
and keeping the eye moist. A delicate balance is maintained by the
lacrimal glands, which manufacture the tears, and the tear ducts,
which are responsible for draining the tears from the eyes. Damage
to the tear ducts can result in "dry eyes" or "wet eyes."
Dry eye occurs when the lacrimal gland fails to properly moisten
the eye. This must be corrected surgically or with artificial
lubricants to control the drying. Wet eyes is a condition when
tears are unable to travel down the normal pathway (through the
duct connecting the eyes and nose) resulting in a continuous
running of tears down the face. Many different conditions can cause
this, including a blocked tear duct, malfunctioning or displaced
eyelids, poor quality tear composition or general dryness that
causes the body's feedback loop for tear production to loose its
self maintaining function.(The last cause is in fact, most common
cause of lacrimal drainage problems.)