Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWatery MucusThick Green or Gray MucusYellow MucusWhite or Yellow Balls of MucusThick, Crusty MucusStringy, White Mucus,—\
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Watery Mucus
Thick Green or Gray Mucus
Yellow Mucus
White or Yellow Balls of Mucus
Thick, Crusty Mucus
Stringy, White Mucus
,
—\
This type of conjunctivitis, referred to as “pink eye,” can be highly contagious. It is an inflammation of theconjunctiva, a membrane that lines the inside of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye. There are several types of conjunctivitis, so accurate diagnosis is important.
The infection will take its course, usually resolving on its own. In the meantime, your healthcare provider might recommend that you take over-the-counter pain medication to ease the discomfort. You also may need to stop wearing contact lenses until the infection clears.
Pink Eye PreventionTo prevent pink eye, always avoid sharing cosmetics or anything else applied to the eye. Be vigilant about hand washing to avoid spreading the infection to your other eye or to other people.Don’t share towels, and wash towels, sheets, or clothes that may have come into contact with your hands or face.
Pink Eye Prevention
To prevent pink eye, always avoid sharing cosmetics or anything else applied to the eye. Be vigilant about hand washing to avoid spreading the infection to your other eye or to other people.Don’t share towels, and wash towels, sheets, or clothes that may have come into contact with your hands or face.
A pus-producing (pyogenic) bacteria that causes conjunctivitis can cause your eyelids to stick shut when you wake in the morning.
Other symptoms include eye redness and irritation.See your healthcare provider if you suspect bacterial conjunctivitis. They may prescribe antibiotic eye drops to get rid of the infection.
Types of ConjunctivitisThe different types of conjunctivitis include viral conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and conjunctivitis due to eye irritants. The name of each is derived from its cause; for example, allergic conjunctivitis can occur as a result of an allergic reaction.
Types of Conjunctivitis
The different types of conjunctivitis include viral conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and conjunctivitis due to eye irritants. The name of each is derived from its cause; for example, allergic conjunctivitis can occur as a result of an allergic reaction.
Eye discharge that’s a yellow mucus along with a small lump or nodule on your eyelid could be a stye. Eyelid glands sometimes get clogged and infected and leak mucus. It’s important to have an accurate diagnosis of the cause.
If you do have a stye, your eye may also feel bruised and sensitive to light. You may notice a reddish bump on your eyelid, or you may develop astye inside your eyelid(internalhordeolum). Pus will build up in the center of the stye, causing a yellowish spot that looks like a pimple.
You might be tempted to squeeze the trapped mucus out like a pimple. This is not recommended, as it could cause the stye to get infected. A warm compress on your eye can relieve symptoms.
Eye discharge that looks like white or yellow mucus balls in watery tears is a common sign ofdacryocystitis—an infection in the tear drainage system (thenasolacrimal sac).With dacryocystitis, you may feel facial pain or have redness and swelling between your nose and eyelid.
You may also notice eye discharge coming out of the puncta, a small drainage hole in the eyelid. This condition can become serious if not treated promptly with antibiotics, so see your healthcare provider if you notice this type of eye discharge.
The bacteria may grow and infect the eyelids and eyelashes, causing redness and inflammation. The eyelids may also thicken and form dandruff-like scales on the lids and lashes.
A type of eye discharge that’s a stringy, white mucus is usually a sign ofallergic conjunctivitis(eye allergies). As part of your body’s allergic response, glands in your eye may produce material that sticks together, collecting inside of your eye or under the lower eyelid.
Your healthcare provider might recommend using over-the-counterartificial tearsseveral times a day.
Artificial tears lubricate your eye and help to suppress the immune response that causes stringy eye mucus. If eye allergies become severe, your healthcare provider may need to prescribe antihistamine eye drops or oral medications.
Small, Dry Particles of Mucus
If you notice an eye discharge when you first wake up—usually small, dry particles of mucus in the corners of your eyes—you may have dry eyes ordry eye syndrome.
Human tears are mostly composed of water, mucus, and oil. When your tears have less water, the mucus and oil stick together, dry out, and build up in the corners of your eyes in the morning. There may also be strings of mucus in your eyes.
There are many treatments for dry eye, including making sure you are drinking enough water and using artificial tears in your eyes. Avoid using blow dryers on your hair and protect your eyes from wind when outdoors. You also may want to add humidity to a dry environment.
How to Treat Eye Discharge
If you have eye goop or mild discharge, you can try some home remedies to help clear your eyes. Some methods to try include the following:
Contact your healthcare provider if your eye discharge persists or gets worse. Also, contact them immediately for additional symptoms such as pain, blurriness, or double vision.
Summary
Eye discharge, or “gunk in your eyes,” can mean several different things. Most of the causes of watery eyes or waking up with mucus in your eyes aren’t serious. They will likely go away on their own or get better with simple home treatments.
However, if you have certain types of eye discharge, like thick, green mucus, a stye with yellow mucus, or yellow drainage coming from the eyelid, have your healthcare provider check your eye. Also seek medical care if the eye discharge is persistent, bothersome, or affects your vision.
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Utah Health.Is that morning “eye gunk” normal?.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Conjunctivitis: what is pink eye?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Prevent Pink Eye.Chan VF, Yong AC, Azuara-Blanco A, et al.A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for infectious and non-infectious conjunctivitis.Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2022;29(5):473-482. doi:10.1080/09286586.2021.1971262Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conjunctivitis (pink eye): symptoms.McAlinden C, González-Andrades M, Skiadaresi E.Hordeolum: acute abscess within an eyelid sebaceous gland.Cleve Clin J Med. 2016;83(5):332-334. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15012Luo B, Li M, Xiang N, Hu W, Liu R, Yan X.The microbiologic spectrum of dacryocystitis.BMC Ophthalmol. 2021 Jan 11;21(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12886-020-01792-4National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Blepharitis.Leonardi A, Quintieri L, Presa IJ, LLoves JM, Montero J, Benítez-Del-Castillo JM,et al.Allergic Conjunctivitis Management: Update on Ophthalmic Solutions.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2024 Jul;24(7):347-360. doi:10.1007/s11882-024-01150-0American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye? Symptoms, causes and treatment.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Home remedies for simple eye problems.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.University of Utah Health.Is that morning “eye gunk” normal?.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Conjunctivitis: what is pink eye?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Prevent Pink Eye.Chan VF, Yong AC, Azuara-Blanco A, et al.A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for infectious and non-infectious conjunctivitis.Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2022;29(5):473-482. doi:10.1080/09286586.2021.1971262Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conjunctivitis (pink eye): symptoms.McAlinden C, González-Andrades M, Skiadaresi E.Hordeolum: acute abscess within an eyelid sebaceous gland.Cleve Clin J Med. 2016;83(5):332-334. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15012Luo B, Li M, Xiang N, Hu W, Liu R, Yan X.The microbiologic spectrum of dacryocystitis.BMC Ophthalmol. 2021 Jan 11;21(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12886-020-01792-4National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Blepharitis.Leonardi A, Quintieri L, Presa IJ, LLoves JM, Montero J, Benítez-Del-Castillo JM,et al.Allergic Conjunctivitis Management: Update on Ophthalmic Solutions.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2024 Jul;24(7):347-360. doi:10.1007/s11882-024-01150-0American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye? Symptoms, causes and treatment.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Home remedies for simple eye problems.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
University of Utah Health.Is that morning “eye gunk” normal?.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Conjunctivitis: what is pink eye?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Prevent Pink Eye.Chan VF, Yong AC, Azuara-Blanco A, et al.A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for infectious and non-infectious conjunctivitis.Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2022;29(5):473-482. doi:10.1080/09286586.2021.1971262Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conjunctivitis (pink eye): symptoms.McAlinden C, González-Andrades M, Skiadaresi E.Hordeolum: acute abscess within an eyelid sebaceous gland.Cleve Clin J Med. 2016;83(5):332-334. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15012Luo B, Li M, Xiang N, Hu W, Liu R, Yan X.The microbiologic spectrum of dacryocystitis.BMC Ophthalmol. 2021 Jan 11;21(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12886-020-01792-4National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Blepharitis.Leonardi A, Quintieri L, Presa IJ, LLoves JM, Montero J, Benítez-Del-Castillo JM,et al.Allergic Conjunctivitis Management: Update on Ophthalmic Solutions.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2024 Jul;24(7):347-360. doi:10.1007/s11882-024-01150-0American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye? Symptoms, causes and treatment.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Home remedies for simple eye problems.
University of Utah Health.Is that morning “eye gunk” normal?.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Conjunctivitis: what is pink eye?.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How to Prevent Pink Eye.
Chan VF, Yong AC, Azuara-Blanco A, et al.A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines for infectious and non-infectious conjunctivitis.Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2022;29(5):473-482. doi:10.1080/09286586.2021.1971262
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Conjunctivitis (pink eye): symptoms.
McAlinden C, González-Andrades M, Skiadaresi E.Hordeolum: acute abscess within an eyelid sebaceous gland.Cleve Clin J Med. 2016;83(5):332-334. doi:10.3949/ccjm.83a.15012
Luo B, Li M, Xiang N, Hu W, Liu R, Yan X.The microbiologic spectrum of dacryocystitis.BMC Ophthalmol. 2021 Jan 11;21(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s12886-020-01792-4
National Eye Institute.Blepharitis.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Blepharitis.
Leonardi A, Quintieri L, Presa IJ, LLoves JM, Montero J, Benítez-Del-Castillo JM,et al.Allergic Conjunctivitis Management: Update on Ophthalmic Solutions.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2024 Jul;24(7):347-360. doi:10.1007/s11882-024-01150-0
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is dry eye? Symptoms, causes and treatment.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Home remedies for simple eye problems.
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