Dry eyes, allergies and eye infections can lead to you waking up with crusty eyes….CONTINUE READING...CONTINUE READING
Crusty eyes in the morning can be normal. But if the gunk seems like it’s getting out of control, there’s probably a reason for that.
Video of the Day
Eye crusts form during sleep because we aren’t blinking, explains Nathan Langemo, OD
, an optometrist at Hopkins Eye Clinic in Hopkins, Minnesota. When your eyes stay closed for long stretches, normal discharge consisting of water, oil and mucus can build up around the eye corners and lash lines. As a result, your eyes might be a little crusty, sticky or teary when you first open them.
Certain conditions can cause your eyes to produce more discharge
than normal, though, which can translate to more eye goop or crud when you wake up. Here’s a look at what might be pestering your peepers and what to do about it.
Dry eye
happens when your eyes don’t produce enough water and oils to keep your eyes well lubricated. The lack of moisture can cause your eyes to become irritated, which can lead to problems like sensitivity, burning, redness and stringy mucous or discharge. Overnight, that discharge can dry up and form crusts around your eyes.
“It’s one of the most common causes of excessive crusts upon waking,” says Dr. Langemo.
Irritants like pollen, dust or mold can make your eyes red, itchy, watery or mucus-y during the day. And when the discharge builds up overnight, it can make your eyes extra crusty or sticky in the morning, says Barrett Eubanks, MD, an ophthalmologist in Murrieta, California.
This common eye infection can make your eyes produce a lot of mucus and pus (not to mention cause redness, pain, itching
, sensitivity to light and a sensation like something is stuck in your eye). “This extra discharge is too much for the usual eye drain to handle. It builds up on the eyelashes and in the corners of the eye as extra eye crusts,” Dr. Eubanks says.
Not everyone is familiar with blepharitis, a bacteria buildup on the eyelid that causes crusty, dandruff-like flakes to develop on the eyelids. But it’s another common reason for waking up with crusty eyes, Dr. Langemo says. The problem can also make your eyes burn or sting, cause sensitivity to light or cause tears that are foamy or bubbly. It often occurs alongside problems like rosacea or dandruff.
Styes are red, pimple-like bumps that form when an oil gland around the eyelid becomes blocked and infected. Your eye produces more tears, mucus and oil to fight the infection, which can build up around the eye and cause crusting, Dr. Langemo explains.
Blocked tear ducts, which happen when your eyes can’t drain normally, can make your eye excessively watery and inflamed and lead to mucus or crusting. The problem most often affects newborns, but it can also occur because of age-related eye changes, infections, trauma to the eye or as a side effect from chemotherapy, per the Mayo Clinic.
Pink eye and styes aren’t the only infections that can affect your eyes. There are a number of bugs that can make your eyes uncomfortable, teary and mucus-y or crusty — and some can potentially be serious.
A little bit of eye crust when you wake up isn’t a big deal.
“However, if the crustiness is coating the eyelashes and making it hard to open the eyes, that could be a problem. Discharge during the day and crustiness forming at night could also indicate a problem,” Dr. Eubanks says. In both cases, it’s a good idea to have your eyes checked so you can figure out what’s going on and decide on the best solution.
You should also see an eye doctor if you have green or yellow eye discharge, eye pain, swelling, sensitivity to light or new or unusual blurry vision, according to the Cleveland Clinic
. These could be signs of an eye infection or another problem that may need treatment….CONTINUE READING
