Eye discharge is pus or mucus from the eye, and it can be clear, yellow, white or green. Watery discharge often comes with a virus or an allergy, and thick yellow or green pus with a bacterial infection. Stringy mucus near the eye is a symptom of dry eye. Call us at 310-828-2010 for a same-day visit if the discharge comes with eye pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision or a very red eye, or go to an emergency room when we're closed. A newborn with eye discharge should be seen by a doctor right away, or at an emergency room if the office is closed.
Key takeaways
- Thick yellow or green pus usually points to a bacterial infection, watery discharge often to a virus or allergy, and stringy mucus to dry eye.
- Discharge with eye pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision or a very red eye needs a same-day visit, or an emergency room when the office is closed.
- A newborn with eye discharge or puffy, red eyelids needs a doctor right away, or an emergency room if the office is closed.
- Heavy discharge that comes on fast, with swollen lids, pain and reduced vision, means calling us right away and coming straight in, or an emergency room when we're closed.
01
What are eye boogers?
Eye boogers are what most people call eye discharge, the mucus or pus that comes from the eye. Each time you blink, your eyelids spread tears across your eyes and help wash away dirt and dust.
A lot of mucus coming from your eyes, or crust that keeps your eyes from opening when you wake up, can be a sign of pink eye and is worth a call.
02
What does the color of eye discharge mean?
Thick yellow or green pus usually points to a bacterial infection, and it can make the eyelids stick together. Watery discharge is more typical of a virus or an allergy, and stringy mucus near the eye is a dry eye symptom.
| Discharge | Often points to | Other clues |
|---|---|---|
| Clear and watery | Viral pink eye or an allergy | A recent cold (viral); intense itching in both eyes (allergy) |
| White and stringy | Dry eye | Burning, gritty or watery eyes |
| Thick yellow or green | Bacterial pink eye | Lids that may be stuck together when you wake up |
| Ongoing tearing with mucus | A blocked tear duct | Pain, swelling and redness at the inner corner, with pus, if it's infected |
| Discharge with eye pain | Keratitis (an inflamed or infected cornea, the clear front surface of the eye) | Blurry vision, light sensitivity or a very red eye, especially in a contact lens wearer |
Yellow or green eye discharge
Bacterial pink eye usually causes thick pus that can make the eyelids stick together, almost always yellow or green and sometimes heavy. The crust can keep your eyes from opening when you wake up. Our pink eye page explains how viral, bacterial and allergic pink eye differ.
Discharge with eye pain can mean keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye), and infections related to contact lenses are its most common cause. Go to the eye doctor or the emergency room for intense eye pain, blurry vision or any change in vision, or very red, watery eyes. If you wear contact lenses, take them out and follow the instructions for cleaning, disinfecting and storing them. Our contact lens exams page explains why sleeping in lenses that aren't approved for overnight wear raises the risk of corneal infection.
Mucus from a watery eye
A blocked tear-drainage duct can cause ongoing tearing with mucus that comes and goes. If the tear sac behind it becomes infected (dacryocystitis), the inner corner of the eye near the nose can turn painful, swollen and red, with pus, and that needs an urgent exam, or an emergency room when we're closed. Blocked tear ducts are common in newborns: up to 1 in 10 babies has one at birth.
If your eyes water without much mucus, our page on why dry eyes water may fit better.
03
Why do I have crusty eyes in the morning?
Crusty eyes in the morning can come from blepharitis, a common eyelid inflammation that leaves the lids or lashes crusty when you wake up.
Dry eye can bring stringy mucus near the eye and watery eyes. Pink eye causes crusting of the eyelids or lashes, especially in the morning, along with redness and discharge.
Eyelids that don't close completely during sleep (nocturnal lagophthalmos) can also leave the eyes crusty and sore in the morning; our article on waking up with crusty, irritated, blurry eyes explains the condition and how we check for it.
04
How do you clean eye discharge safely?
Wash your hands with soap and water first. Then wipe the discharge from around your eyes with a clean, wet washcloth or a fresh cotton ball, using a clean one each time. While an eye is infected, do this several times a day, and avoid touching or rubbing your eyes with your fingers.
For crust from blepharitis, the National Eye Institute recommends cleaning the lids every day with water and a gentle cleanser, such as baby shampoo. Pressing the cloth against your closed eye for a few minutes first loosens the crusts.
While an eye is infected, stop wearing contact lenses until your eye doctor says it's okay, and don't share washcloths, towels or pillows. Cold compresses and artificial tears can relieve some of the inflammation and dryness.
05
When should you see a doctor for eye discharge?
Call for a same-day visit if eye discharge comes with any of these signs the National Eye Institute lists:
- A lot of pain in your eye
- Blurred vision or light sensitivity that doesn't get better when you wipe the discharge away
- A very red eye
- Symptoms that haven't improved after a few days, or are getting worse
- Contact lens wear, or a recent scratch to the eye
- A health condition that weakens your immune system, such as cancer or HIV
- A lot of mucus coming from your eyes
Heavy discharge that comes on fast, with swollen lids, pain and reduced vision, can be a rare and severe form of bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye). It needs prompt treatment by an ophthalmologist to prevent vision loss. If that happens, call us right away and come straight in; when we're closed, go to an emergency room.
A newborn with eye discharge or puffy, red eyelids should be seen by a doctor right away, or at an emergency room if the office is closed. Pink eye can cause serious health problems for newborns if it isn't treated, and in a newborn it can come from an infection, irritation or a blocked tear duct.
We see red, infected eyes the same day during office hours, Monday 10 to 5 and Tuesday through Friday 8 to 5; our page on same-day urgent eye care explains how those visits work. Outside those hours, go to an emergency room for eye pain, blurred vision or light sensitivity that doesn't clear, a very red eye, or any of these while you wear contact lenses. Sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes, even if it comes back, is an emergency at any hour: call 911. Intense eye pain with nausea, a headache or halos around lights can be an attack of angle-closure glaucoma: call us immediately if we're open, or go to an emergency room.
06
How we check eye discharge at Cohenmehr Optometry
Our eye doctors in Los Angeles look at the eye under the slit lamp (an exam microscope) to tell which kind of pink eye it is, or whether the discharge comes from something else, such as an infected cornea, a blocked tear duct or blepharitis. Then we treat the cause we find, or refer you the same day when a surgeon or other specialist is needed.
Contact lens wearers keep their lenses out until the eye is clear. Crusting from blepharitis gets a daily lid-hygiene routine and, when wipes aren't enough, BlephEx, an in-office lid exfoliation often used to clear crusting, debris and biofilm from the lash line. Stringy mucus from dry eye is treated through our dry eye program.
For other symptoms, our eye symptoms guide sorts 16 common complaints by how urgent they are.
07
Questions patients ask
Do you need antibiotic eye drops for eye discharge?
Only when bacteria are the cause. Antibiotics will not improve viral pink eye, and allergic pink eye usually improves once the allergen is removed. The CDC says antibiotics may be necessary when there is discharge (pus), when you have a weakened immune system or when certain bacteria are suspected, and they can shorten the infection and help prevent spread to others. Mild bacterial pink eye may get better without them.
Can old mascara cause an eye infection?
It can. Eye cosmetics are usually safe when you buy them, but misusing them can let dangerous bacteria or fungi grow in them, and manufacturers usually recommend throwing mascara away two to four months after you buy it. Don't add water or saliva to dried mascara, and don't share eye makeup. If you get an eye infection, stop using eye cosmetics and throw out the products you were using.
Can seasonal allergies cause eye discharge?
Yes. Allergic pink eye usually affects both eyes and can bring intense itching and teary, swollen eyes, with clear, watery discharge. It flares when pollen counts are high. Avoid rubbing your eyes; cold compresses and artificial tears can help, and our eye allergies page covers the prescription options.
Does pink eye go away on its own?
Often, yes. The National Eye Institute says pink eye often gets better on its own after 7 to 10 days, but sometimes you need treatment from a doctor. See one if your symptoms haven't improved after a few days or are getting worse, if your eye hurts a lot or your vision stays blurry after you wipe away discharge, or if you wear contact lenses.
08
Sources
- CDC: Symptoms of pink eye
- CDC: How to prevent pink eye
- CDC: How to treat pink eye
- CDC: Pink eye causes
- CDC: Pink eye in newborns
- CDC: Types of bacterial conjunctivitis
- National Eye Institute: Pink eye
- National Eye Institute: Blepharitis
- National Eye Institute: Corneal conditions
- National Eye Institute: Glaucoma
- American Optometric Association: Conjunctivitis
- American Optometric Association: Dry eye
- StatPearls: Dacryocystitis
- MedlinePlus: Eyelid disorders
- FDA: Eye cosmetic safety
Written by
Dr. Bijan Cohenmehr, OD
Founder of Cohenmehr Optometry, in practice for over 40 years. He leads the practice’s dry eye care and myopia management. A graduate of SUNY College of Optometry.
About Dr. Bijan →
