You know that feeling you get when you wake up in the morning and your eye is all goopy and crusty? Yeah, gross. But here's the thing – it happens to everyone from time to time. So what causes this lovely phenomenon? Let's dive into the sticky truth behind gooey eyes.
The Basics of Eye Goop
Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, let's cover some basics about our favorite subject: eye boogers.
- What are they made of? Eye boogers are a combination of mucus produced by your conjunctiva (the thin layer covering your eyeball) and dead skin cells.
- Why do they form overnight? Your body produces less tears while you're sleeping, which means there's less moisture in your eyes to wash away any debris that might be sticking around.
So now that we've got those fun facts out of the way, let's move on to more pressing matters.
Types of Eye Discharge
Not all eye discharge is created equal. Here are a few types you may have experienced:
Mucous Discharge
If your goop resembles thick snot or pus, it could be due to an infection like pink eye or keratitis. You'll also likely notice other symptoms like redness and irritation.
Watery Eyes
Are your eyes constantly watering during allergy season? That liquid could dry up overnight and become slimy by morning – hence the eye goo.
Crusty Eyelids
Sometimes dry skin can lead to crustiness around our eyelashes as well as some extra “crud” built-up on them too… eww!
Reasons for Gunky Eyes / Causes Of Sticky Substance
Now onto why those delightful little globs seem to love taking up residence on (and around) our eyes. Here are a few potential culprits:
Inflammation
When the tissue around your eye becomes inflamed (due to allergies, injury, or infection), it can produce more mucus than usual.
Blocked Tear Ducts
Your tear ducts help to drain excess tears and moisture from your eyes. But if they become blocked (often due to an infection), that fluid has nowhere else to go but out onto your lashes!
Bacterial/Viral infections in Eye - Conjunctivitis
Also known as pink eye, conjunctivitis is caused by either bacteria or viruses and results in a sticky yellow/green discharge from the affected eye.
By now you've probably learned all sorts of things about why our precious windows-to-the-soul get crusty when we’re asleep! The main thing? It’s because Mother Nature hasn't figured out how to prevent it… yet!
So next time you find yourself waking up with an eye full of crud / yucky gunk / whatever other nickname you give those delightful little globs – rest easy knowing that even some of the most diligent cleaners amongst us have been there too!
please note sarcasm