Thursday, April 12, 2012

Why do we get eye boogers?

We check for them constantly, making sure our eyes are clean of that sticky white boogy that seems to be most abundant in the mornings.  What purpose does it serve besides embarrass us?  There is a huge purpose of course, allow me to talk about mucus for a moment.  

Our eyes collect dirt just like the rest of our bodies.  Fortunately for our eyes and nose, there is little maintenance required to keep them bacteria free.  Just like our noses, our eyes create a sticky substance to collect any debris that has accumulated through the day.  This mucus can be easily grabbed with a q-tip or clean hands (not talking about your nose here).  Some patients will have more mucus then others due to their jobs or environment.  If you happen to work in dusty conditions I advice cleaning your face with warm water only and then massaging your eyelashes clean with only warm water (about 20 seconds).  Help the natural process a little bit to reduce the mucus and potential overload that may lead to infections.  Removing excess make-up and replacing mascaras (every 3 months, like a toothbrush) will also help in keeping the area working properly and infection free.  As we age you'll notice the mucus may increase, look at your grandparents eyes next time, usually due to poor hygiene near the eye.  It's not their lack of attention, but more lack of dexterity and mobility.  Help them by using a warm cloth to clean their eyes.  Cleaner eyes will prevent infections in the future.  

See and Be Seen! at Eyed LA Optometry in Brentwood, West Los Angeles
www.eyedla.com

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