Don't worry too much about strangers. Conjunctivitis is common in little babies and lots of people probably assume that they are the first ones to hear about using breast milk or saline, and have to tell everyone they can find!

Yes, I have looked after children who have had their tear ducts probed to clear a blockage. It's generally day surgery, and not too painful. Sometimes they have a little bit of bleeding from the tear duct afterwards.