Facts About Eye Boogers That You Should Know

If you constantly wake up with eye boogers, you are like every other person in this planet.

And I’m sorry to inform you, but there is no possible way to wake up without these little buggers.

They are pretty common, but you might be surprised about some facts about eye boogers that you should know.

What are eye boogers?

The eye boogers that we refer to are the buildup of mucus in the eyes. Every time you blink in the daytime, your eyes cleans out the rheum that have started to develop.

We do not notice the mucus because our eyes only produce small quantities at a time.

When you blink at night, the mucus that our eyes secrete builds up. Our closed eyelids help build up the boogers in our eyelashes.

What is RHEUM?

Rheum is one of the facts about eye boogers that you should know. Rheum is the mucus that your eyes secrete.

Your eyes produce a natural goo or mucus which is known as rheum.

When the rheum dries up, it leaves behind the greasy substance that we refer to as the boogers in our eyes.

The mucus help protect our eyes from all the dirt and harmful particles floating around the environment.

An irregular amount of these boogers could point to certain health issues. The boogers in our eyes are harmless, but abnormalities in the amount, frequency, or consistency of rheum are signs that you have possible health problems.

What causes eye boogers?

We all secrete the rheum or mucus that causes eye boogers. When you disrupt your regular daily activities and sleeping patterns, your eyes can tend to secrete a lot more mucus than they should.

This leads to more boogers for you to deal with.

But it is not something that should cause any alarm. Unless you start to feel pain, or when the amount of boogers in your eyes really start to bother you.

Some factors that may cause more eye boogers:

– Products for the eyes
some products that you use on your eyes may cause irritation that can force your eyes to secrete more mucus. Be careful with the type of cosmetic products and contact lenses that you put in your eyes.

– Dirt particles in the air 
Your eyes can tend to collect a lot of particles from the environment. The particles can irritate your eyes and cause them to secrete more mucus that can build up around your eyelashes and eyelids.

– Weather and climate 
The weather or climate can affect our bodies. During cold seasons, your eyes may start to produce more rheum that can lead to more eye boogers.

You can actually identify if the rheum that you discharge is healthy. A healthy rheum or mucus has a clear and light yellow color.

The rheum can be hard or slimy when you wake up from sleep, but it should not be visible during the daytime.

If you have an eye infection, the mucus may appear to be thick and green or dark yellow.

If your eyes are red and you have these symptoms, you should visit a doctor immediately.

Do you have too much eye boogers?

The amount of eye boogers that appear in your eyes vary from person to person.

Some people may regularly have more eye boogers than others and that is normal.

But you should be able to notice when your eye boogers are unusually plenty.

You should definitely see a doctor if the are not sick but the amount of your eye boogers bother you.

If you are sick, your boogers are usually green or yellowish. If you don’t have a cold but you have an unusually amount of boogers that bother you, you might have an eye infection.

Warning signs for eye problems

If you have one or more of the following symptoms, you should see a doctor:

– Your eyes have an unusual amount of eye boogers.
– Your eyes feel very sensitive to light.
– You feel pain in your eyes.
– You have redness in your eyes.

If you feel that your eyes need to be checked, please do not hesitate to go to an eye doctor.

Having an unusual amount of boogers in your eyes is not something to be ashamed of.

You should talk to your doctor and share all the important details that may help in your eye assessment.

Remember, any condition that is left unchecked may lead to something more serious.

How to clean eye boogers?

If you want to avoid having any eye problems or infections, here are some facts about eye boogers that you should know.

If you are like most people, you are probably used to cleaning your eyes with your fingers.

You might like to wipe them with your bare hands or scrape them out of your eyes. Please refrain from doing this.

Rigorously cleaning your eyes with your bare hands may damage your eyes. This common practice could lead you to accidentally scratching your eyes or spreading any unwanted bacteria in them.

To avoid any eye injuries and infections, it is better to gently wash your eyes with a damp cloth.

Add some warm water on a washcloth, and then place them on your eyes to soften the dry rheum.

After you soften the hard deposits, rinse your eyes with warm water or wipe them with a soft cloth. Remember, you should always be gentle when you clean your eyes.

ADDITIONAL FACTS ABOUT EYE BOOGERS THAT YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW

Do babies have eye boogers?

Yes, just like you, babies discharge mucus from their eyes too. This helps protect their eyes, but it is also prone to infections.

Did you know that some newborn babies have tear ducts that are not completely developed?

We all have tear ducts, but some newborn babies might have tear ducts that are undeveloped.

What are tear ducts?

We all know that your eyes secrete tears. Sometimes, tears fall from your eyes because of sadness or joy. But most of the time, the tears are there to keep your eyes clean and moist.

The tears run through little drainage or tubes that pass along your nose. If these tubes are blocked, your eyes can get pretty watery.

An issue that some newborn babies have are undeveloped tear ducts. Undeveloped tear ducts may end up being blocked.

To know if a baby’s tear ducts are blocked, check the color of the mucus its eyes.

If a baby constantly secrets yellow or green mucus all day long even when it is not asleep, then its tear ducts may be blocked.

How to unblock a baby’s tear ducts?

You can use a warm compress to help soothe the baby’s eyes. But you should always be aware of the warning signs that the baby’s eyes might have an infection.

Warning signs for infection:

– When the eyes of the baby are tender.
– If you see that the baby’s eyes are red.
– When the baby’s eyes are swollen.

If you see these signs on a baby’s eyes, then do not hesitate to take the baby to a doctor. Remember, babies are more delicate than adults.

Also, if your baby’s tear ducts are blocked even until its first birthday, surgery might be required to unblock the tear ducts.

Remember, always consult with a trusted doctor for the health of your baby.

Hopefully, you learned some new things about the eye boogers. For unusual symptoms or infections involving eye boogers, consult your eye doctor right away.

REFERENCES:

https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/baby-blocked-tear-duct

https://www.rd.com/health/conditions/eye-boogers/