What Causes Discharge From Eyes?

Overview

When you wake up in the morning, do you notice the hardened gunk that forms in the corner of your eyes that often gets stuck to your eyelashes? Ever wondered what that is and why that occurs?

When you’re awake, you blink the gunk away which is a mixture of mucus and oil. However, when you’re sleeping, your eyes don’t blink and hence the gunk begins to collect in the corner of your eyes. This gunk is termed ‘rheum’. 

This form of eye discharge is quite normal but sometimes eye discharge can point towards an underlying problem. When a person notices a change in the frequency of the eye discharge, the color of the discharge, the amount, or if it’s appearing continuously while awake, a healthcare practitioner should be contacted. 

Discharge during the day, while you are awake, is a sign of a more serious condition.

What are the causes of eye discharge?

The presence of mild eye discharge upon awakening is normal, however, excessive discharge can be a cause of an infection or an underlying medical condition. 

Some of the causes of eye discharge are:

• Conjunctivitis– Also known as pink eye, is a contagious condition that is accompanied by redness, swelling, pain in the eyes. It can occur due to any particular bacteria, allergy, etc. A common symptom of pink eyes is eye discharge. 

• Contact lenses– Wearing your contact lenses for long hours may irritate your eyes. This can lead to more eye discharge than normal when you wake up in the morning. Do not sleep with your contact lenses. 

• Dacryocystitis– A condition in which your tear ducts get blocked leading to the production of a sticky discharge. Infants are more likely to be affected by this condition. 

• Dry eye syndrome– This condition occurs when your tears don’t lubricate your eyes enough causing them to get dry. When this happens, your nervous system gets a signal to send some fluid. Emergency tears are sent which don’t have the same nourishing balance as regular tears as they have more mucus. This can lead to gunk in the corner of your eyes.

• Corneal ulcer– Sometimes, a corneal ulcer could develop in the case of chronic dry eyes or a serious infection. 

• Blepharitis- An inflammation of the eyelash hairs leading to swelling and pain around the eyes can also cause discharge from the eyes. This is because of abnormal oil production around the hair follicles. 

• Eye injury or trauma– Sand/dust/perfume can irritate your eyes and cause trauma/injury to the structures of the organ. This can cause eye discharge. 

If the discharge has blood or pus, contact your ophthalmologist immediately.

When to contact an eye specialist for eye discharge?

Excessive eye discharge accompanied by the following symptoms should immediately be brought to the notice of the eye specialist: 

• Blurry vision
• Redness around the eye 
• Swelling 
• Pain- burning or stinging sensation
• Yellow/green discharge
• Eyes are stuck with pus when you wake up 
• Light sensitivity 

You should consult your eye specialist if your eye discharge becomes excessive and doesn’t improve after a week.

Diagnosis of eye discharge

If the discharge from the eye is excessive, it is important to get it checked by an ophthalmologist. The eye doctor is likely to perform a physical examination and examine your eye. The diagnosis will be made depending on your symptoms. 

Your healthcare provider may collect a sample of eye discharge from your eye and send it to the laboratory to help them determine which form of infection you have. 

Treatment for eye discharge

If the eye discharge is due to an infection or due to a pink eye condition, your eye specialist may prescribe antibiotics, antiviral or anti-allergen eye drops, and ointments.

Doctors do tear duct blockage surgery to open a blocked tear duct. For Blepharitis self-care measures, such as washing your eyes and using warm compresses, might be all that’s needed. However, if self-care measures aren’t enough, your doctor might suggest prescription treatments. (Also read: What Are Signs And Symptoms Of Cataract?)

Home remedies to prevent or treat eye discharge

Before practising the following home remedies for eye discharge, it is important to contact and seek guidance from your healthcare practitioner:

• Saline is one of the most effective home remedies for eye infections. Saline is similar to teardrops, which is your eye’s natural way of cleansing itself. Sterile saline can be bought from a pharmacy. 
• Warm compression can soothe the symptoms of many conditions, such as dry eye, pink eye, blepharitis, etc. 
• Cold compression, like warm compression, can help soothe the symptoms and help with swelling. 
• Wash your towels and linens daily. 
• Don’t share your eye make up. 
• Don’t wear your contact lenses longer than recommended. 
• Wash your hands before touching your eyes. 

Takeaway

Although waking up with crusty eyes is normal, it is important to notice the frequency and colour of what’s stuck in the corner of your eyes. If the problem persists, contact your eye specialist immediately to seek guidance. 

In the meantime, take the precautions listed and try not to touch your eyes and the area around them. If you need to rub or touch your eyes, thoroughly wash your hands first.

If you are experiencing any eye problem that is associated with eye discharge, you can consult Pristyn Care ophthalmologists and get the best treatment for the condition. Apart from eye discharge condition, Pristyn Care provides advanced LASIK surgical treatment to cure refractive errors, cataract surgeries and treatment for other eye conditions such as glaucoma and astigmatism.