Eye booger why

Subscribe Today Stay up-to-date on the latest heath care topics. In the news. Race to save the world: Stopping the next pandemic means we need equity in public health MSN. Opioid overdoses have skyrocketed during the pandemic. Texas Standard. Admin Updates. If discharge is caused by another condition, though, treatment may be needed. Treatment can include:. Eye mucus is a normal, healthy substance designed to protect our eyes, and waking up to crusty eyes is nothing to be concerned about.

A bit of discharge from your eyes is normal. But if you're seeing green discharge from an eye, it's probably infected and needs to be seen by a doctor. Droopy eyelids can affect more than your appearance. Over time, they can start to limit your field of vision and impact your ability to see. Keratoconus is a disorder that leads to thinning of your cornea. It primarily affects children and young adults. We explain causes, treatment, and…. Eye boogers are normal and almost never a cause for concern.

But if they get thicker, appear yellow or green, or you start to notice more of them, you might want to have an eye doctor check them out. Excessive eye boogers can point to a pretty common condition called blepharitis , when your eyelids become more inflamed than usual. Discharge, often in the form of clear drainage or thicker pus, is usually a sign that something else is going on around your eyes.

Thick or colored discharge can be a symptom of an eye infection like bacterial conjunctivitis. These infections sometimes go away on their own but other times may need to be treated to avoid a more serious problem. When mucus dries in the eyes, it can leave behind this sludgy substance. Mucus helps protect the eyes from specks of dirt, harmful chemicals, and other foreign materials.

Eye boogers are harmless, but changes in discharge from the eyes can give clues to health concerns someone may have. During the day, each time a person blinks, the eyes flush away the secretions of rheum they have produced. Since the eyes produce this mucus in such small quantities, most people never notice it.

At night, when a person does not blink, the mucus can build up. Sealed eyelids allow it to build up along the eyelashes and in the tear ducts. Everyone produces the mucus that causes eye boogers. This is normal in healthy eyes. However, some changes in lifestyle or eye health may cause the eyes to produce excess mucus.

These changes can also make it more likely that the rheum sticks to the eyes. Healthy rheum is clear or light yellow.

It may be hard, sludgy, or thin after sleeping, but should not be noticeable during the day. If the mucus is very thick, green, dark yellow or occurs with pain or redness in the eyes, it could be a sign of an eye infection. Anyone with these symptoms should see an eye doctor quickly. In addition to healthy mucus, there are many other types of eye discharge. Some infections and eye health conditions may cause abnormal or painful eye discharge.

Babies produce eye mucus and may develop eye infections.