Waking Up with Gunk on Your Eyelids

Eye gunk—or maybe you call it goop, sleep dust, crust, or something similar—pretty much everyone will wake up with it on or around their eyelids, at least at some point in their life. It’s usually harmless and something that just needs wiping away with a warm face cloth or eye wipes. 

But what causes it? And, if it’s usually nothing to worry about, are there any times when it might be something more serious? 

The What’s, Why’s, and Wherefores of Eye Gunk…

• What is eye gunk?
• Waking up with gunk on your eyelids? When to worry…
• Getting eye gunk when you’re awake

What is eye gunk? 

Eye gunk is formed by the eye’s natural lubrication as it cleans dirt from the surface of the eye. When you’re awake you blink every few seconds and keep this natural moisturizing and cleaning process mobile.

Because you don’t blink when you’re asleep, the dirt naturally migrates and collects in the corner of the eye and along the eyelashes. This might be crusty, gunky, clear, yellow, thick, thin, dry, or wet and is usually a completely normal process.

Waking up with gunk on your eyelids? When to worry…

While a small amount of eye gunk is normal, there are scenarios when it could be a symptom of an underlying condition.

Some typical examples of this are:

• Dry eye: A rather confusingly named condition where the tears that the body makes aren’t of sufficient quality to adequately lubricate the eye. This causes more tears to be produced and the eye or eyes to water profusely. In such cases, you might find that you wake up with an excess of eye gunk in the corner of the eye (or eyes) and along the edges of the eyelids.
• Blepharitis: This is an infection at the very edges of the eyelids, causing flakiness and eye gunk to crust along the eyelid where the lashes grow.
• Conjunctivitis: Often called pink eye, this is caused by either an infection or allergy. In either case, it affects the conjunctiva—the membrane that lines the eyeball and eyelid.

Getting eye gunk when you’re awake

The three conditions mentioned above can also cause eye gunk to accumulate when you’re awake. If any eye discharge increases in volume, changes color, or is combined with any of the following symptoms, then you should get checked out by an eye doctor:

• Eye pain
• Redness and swelling
• Blurry vision or other visual anomalies
• Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
• Problems opening your eye/s in the morning because the gunk has stuck them together

Good eye cleanliness is key. This applies whether you have a normal level of eye gunk or it’s increased because of an underlying condition. Much as it can be tempting to simply clean the eyes with your fingers, be aware that there’s a ton of bacteria on your skin. Poking your fingers around your eye has an extremely high risk of introducing it to the sensitive tissues, thus raising the chance of infection.

Rather than using your fingers, use a clean face cloth soaked in warm water and wrung out. Use this to gently wipe away any eye gunk. But be sure to rinse it out well between using it on each eye. An infection in one eye can easily be transferred to the other with poor facial hygiene. Alternatively, use a cotton ball with an eye wash or dedicated eye wipes.

Worried About Waking Up with Eye Gunk on Your Eyelids? Get Checked Out at the WBEC

While excessive eye gunk can be a sign of pink eye and/or an infection, it’s generally not an issue. At the West Boca Eye Center, your eye doctor will thoroughly assess your eyes and advise what treatment—if any—is needed. 

At home eye health is as important as your regular eye checkups, something that your eye doctor will discuss with you during your annual or bi-annual appointments. 

Discover more about our services at https://www.westbocaeyecenter.com/