Tears nourish and lubricate the surface of the eye as well as wash away debris. If there is a disturbance of the tear film, patients will often experience tearing, burning, irritation and most importantly blurred vision. Patients who experience tearing either have a problem with tear production or tear drainage. An obstruction of the tear ducts may occur due to aging, trauma, inflammatory conditions, medications or tumors. If the tear pathway become blocked, tears cannot drain properly and may overflow from the eyelids onto the face, appearing as if you were crying. Discharge from the corner of the eye, swelling, pain and infection may also result. In mild cases, a treatment of warm compresses and antibiotics may be recommended. In more severe cases, surgical intervention to bypass the tear duct obstruction (dacryocystorhinostomy or DCR surgery) may be recommended. A DCR is performed by creating a new tear passageway from the lacrimal sac to the nose, bypassing the obstruction. A small silicone tube called a stent may temporarily be placed in the new passageway to keep it open during the healing process. In a small percentage of cases, the obstruction is between the puncta and the lacrimal sac. In these cases, in addition to the DCR procedure, the surgeon will insert a tiny artificial tear drain called a Jones Tube. A Jones Tube is made of Pyrex glass and allows tears to drain directly from the eye to the lacrimal sac.