Eye Booger
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Red eyes
Bloodshot eyes
Itchy eyes
Watery eyes
Eye discharge
Eye redness
Eye mucus
Itchy eyelids
Stringy eye mucus
Swollen upper eyelid
Eyelid swelling
Yellow discharge from eye
About the Symptom
Eye discharge or gunk consists of mucus, oil, skin cells, and other debris that builds up in the corner of the eyes as you sleep.
When to See a Doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
- Conjunctival redness
- Fever
- Headache
- Eye pain
- Dysphagia
- Unilateral blindness
Possible Causes
Generally, Eye booger can be related to:
- Pharyngoconjunctival Fever
This viral infection causes sore throat, red eyes, and fever. Some patients may have enlarged neck glands (lymph nodes). Patients usually recover without treatment.
- Allergic Rhinitis / Allergic Conjunctivitis (Including Spring Catarrh)
A condition caused by allergens like pollen and dust mites, resulting in a runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes.
- Sinusitis
Infection of the sinuses, which are cavities around the nose and face. The infection can be acute (lasting about a week) or chronic (lasting more than three months). Most often infections start as a viral upper respiratory infection (URI) and then bacterial infection sets in. The symptoms include fever, facial pain or pressure, and nasal obstruction or drainage. Imaging including CT scans may be necessary.
- Ear Infection
- Common Cold (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection)
- Cough Variant Asthma
- Acute Tonsillitis / Pharyngitis
- Corneal Injury
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Eye booger may be related to these serious diseases:
- Endophthalmitis
Inflammation inside the eyeball, typically from infection. Quick medical treatment is necessary to avoid permanent blindness.
- Kawasaki Disease
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Are you experiencing any eye discharge?
- When did you first notice the eye discharge?
Reviewed By:
Ami Shah Vira, MD (Ophthalmology)
Dr. Shah Vira grew up in Arizona. She moved to Chicago to complete a combined engineering and medical program at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and Chicago Medical School. She completed a highly competitive two year dual fellowship in Neuro-ophthalmology and Oculoplastic at the highly regarded Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Shah Vira specializes in surgical correction of the eyelids and eyebrows, eyelid malposition and tumors, excessive tearing, and conditions involving the orbit.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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- Eye booger
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Messmer EM. The pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of dry eye disease. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2015 Jan 30;112(5):71-81; quiz 82. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2015.0071. PMID: 25686388; PMCID: PMC4335585.
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/int/archive/article/167472