Identifying Types of Eye Mucus

Eye mucus in the corners of your eyes tends to build up when you are asleep. However, it can also form during your waking hours, especially if you have a condition affecting your eye.

Also called eye goop, eye boogers, or eye gunk, it can sometimes be caused by allergies, infections, or other health conditions.

Eye discharge consists of different substances made by the body, like oils and dead skin cells. Sometimes, you can remove eye discharge by rubbing your finger in the corner of your eye. Other times, your eyelids may seem glued shut by the gunk stuck to your lashes.

This article discusses the different types of eye discharge and conditions that could cause each type. It also covers when you should contact your provider about eye discharge and what treatments you may be given based on your diagnosis.

types of eye mucus

Verywell / Emily Roberts

Watery Mucus

One type of eye discharge is a watery tear that’s mixed with a small amount of mucus. It’s often caused by a virus. Viral conjunctivitis can cause a variety of symptoms, such as eyelid swelling, blurred vision, redness, and a feeling that something is stuck in your eye.

This type of conjunctivitis, referred to as “pink eye,” can be highly contagious. Viral conjunctivitis can be a symptom of upper respiratory viral illnesses.

Be vigilant about hand washing to avoid spreading the infection to your other eye or to other people. Don’t share towels with other people, and wash towels, sheets, or clothes that may have come into contact with your hands or face.

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.

A general strategy for preventing pink eye is to always avoid sharing cosmetics or anything else that is applied to the eye.

Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is a clear mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye.

There are several types of conjunctivitis. It is important to have a healthcare provider look closely at your eye so that you get the right treatment.

Thick Green or Gray Mucus

A thick green or gray mucus eye discharge could be something serious. It may mean that you have an eye infection caused by bacteria.

Bacterial conjunctivitis may cause your eyelid to be completely stuck shut when you wake in the morning. This type of eye infection is caused by pus-producing (pyogenic) bacteria.

If you wake up with the feeling of not being able to open your eyes, you could have a bacterial eye infection. Other symptoms include eye redness and irritation.

Conjunctivitis rarely causes long-term vision or eye damage, but it can make the eye extremely red.

Yellow Mucus

Eye discharge that’s a yellow mucus that goes along with a small lump or nodule on your eyelid could be a stye. Eyelid glands sometimes get clogged and infected and leak mucus.

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 a stye inside your eyelid (internal hordeolum). Pus will build up in the center of the style, 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. If you have yellow eye discharge, see your healthcare provider to find out the cause.

If it is a stye, your healthcare provider might recommend gently placing a warm compress on your eye for comfort.

White or Yellow Balls of Mucus

Eye discharge that looks like white or yellow mucus balls in watery tears is a common sign of dacryocystitis—an infection in the tear drainage system (the nasolacrimal 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 make sure to see your healthcare provider if you notice this type of eye discharge.

Thick, Crusty Mucus

An eye discharge that’s a thick, crusty mucus on your eyelids and eyelashes may be due to blepharitis. Blepharitis is sometimes caused by bacteria found on your skin.

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.

Blepharitis is often treated by applying warm compresses followed by eyelid scrubs. A simple way to do an eyelid scrub is to close your eye and gently scrub your eyelid with a warm washcloth in a back-and-forth motion. You can try using baby shampoo, as it won’t sting your eyes.

Stringy, White Mucus

A type of eye discharge that’s a stringy, white mucus is usually a sign of allergic 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 chilled, over-the-counter, artificial tears several times a day.

Artificial tears lubricate your eye and help 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 or dry eye syndrome.

Human tears are mostly composed of water, mucus, and oil. When your tears have less water, 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, occasionally splashing your eyes with water throughout the day, avoiding powdery makeup, using artificial tears in your eyes, taking fish oil pills, and using a warm compress.

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 in any way.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does pink eye cause eye discharge?

    Yes, pink eye (conjunctivitis) can cause eye discharge to form. Viral conjunctivitis usually releases a watery eye discharge, while bacterial conjunctivitis can create a thick green or grey eye discharge. Viral conjunctivitis can cause eye irritation, redness, and in some cases may cause eye discharge that makes the eyes feel stuck together in the morning after waking up.

  • Why do I have crusty eyes in the morning?

    Waking up with crusty eyes in the morning is due to the mixture of mucus, skin cells, tears, and oils that dry up to form around the eyes. During the daytime, our tears wash away these irritants when we blink. While we are asleep, this doesn’t happen, and results in waking up with eye discharge or “crusty” eyes.

  • Does bacterial conjunctivitis need treatment?

    Bacterial conjunctivitis does not usually need treatment. In most cases, it goes away by itself after one or two weeks, but there are prescription medications that can be ordered by a healthcare provider when symptoms are severe.

  • What are the 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.

9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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By Troy Bedinghaus, OD
Troy L. Bedinghaus, OD, board-certified optometric physician, owns Lakewood Family Eye Care in Florida. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association.