Finding thick, greenish discharge coming from your eye can be alarming. This material, known as eye discharge or rheum, is normally a mix of mucus, oil, skin cells, and tears. While a small amount of crusty material is normal upon waking, a sudden increase in volume, stickiness, or a change in color to green or deep yellow signifies an active immune response. This color change signals that your body is fighting an infection. This article explains what causes this specific color and guides you through the conditions it may indicate.
What Makes Eye Discharge Green
A green or yellowish-green hue in eye discharge indicates the material is pus, technically described as purulent discharge. This color results from the immune system’s response to an invading pathogen, usually bacteria. When an infection occurs, the body floods the area with white blood cells, primarily neutrophils. These neutrophils destroy the bacteria, and the resulting debris forms the bulk of the sticky, colored discharge. The characteristic color comes from the concentrated presence of these dead immune cells and the enzymes they contain, such as myeloperoxidase, which has a natural green color.
Specific Conditions Causing Green Discharge
The most frequent cause of green, pus-like discharge is Bacterial Conjunctivitis, commonly referred to as pink eye. This highly contagious infection causes inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin membrane lining the inside of the eyelid and covering the white part of the eye. Bacteria proliferate rapidly, causing the eye to produce copious amounts of thick, sticky, green or yellow discharge that often seals the eyelids shut overnight.
Corneal Ulcer
A more serious condition is a Corneal Ulcer, an open sore on the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye. This condition is often caused by bacterial infection, especially in contact lens wearers with poor hygiene, and rapidly produces thick, purulent discharge. Because the cornea is involved, a corneal ulcer is a sight-threatening emergency requiring immediate medical intervention to prevent permanent vision loss.
Dacryocystitis
Infections of the tear drainage system can also result in green discharge, such as Dacryocystitis, an infection of the tear sac near the inner corner of the eye. When the tear duct is blocked, tears cannot drain properly, creating a stagnant reservoir where bacteria thrive and multiply. This leads to swelling, tenderness, and the expression of pus-like material from the puncta, the tiny openings that drain tears. Severe bacterial infections, such as those caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, can lead to hyperacute conjunctivitis with extremely large amounts of purulent discharge and swelling.
Warning Signs Indicating Urgent Care
While green discharge typically points toward a bacterial infection, certain accompanying symptoms necessitate immediate professional care, indicating the infection may be rapidly progressing or affecting deeper structures of the eye. The most important symptom is a sudden, noticeable change in vision, such as blurriness, haziness, or partial loss of sight. This suggests the infection may have spread to the cornea or deeper parts of the eye.
Significant and persistent eye pain that goes beyond simple irritation is another urgent sign. Pain that feels deep within the eye, pain upon moving the eyeball, or extreme sensitivity to light (photophobia) are red flags. These symptoms can signal a severe infection like a corneal ulcer or a deeper, sight-threatening condition.
Additional symptoms that should prompt an immediate visit include pronounced swelling of the eyelids that makes opening the eye difficult. A fever or general feeling of illness alongside the eye symptoms suggests a systemic infection. Any discharge accompanied by a white or gray spot on the cornea is a sign of a corneal ulcer and must be treated as a medical emergency.
Treatment Options and Safe Home Practices
Treatment for green eye discharge, especially when caused by bacterial infection, involves prescription medication to eliminate the pathogen. An eye care professional will prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointments applied directly to the eye several times a day. It is important to follow the full course of the prescription, even if symptoms begin to improve quickly, to ensure the infection is completely eradicated.
Strict hygiene practices are necessary while undergoing treatment to prevent the infection from spreading to the other eye or to other people. You should wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after touching your face or eyes, and avoid sharing towels, washcloths, or pillowcases. Warm compresses can be applied gently to the outside of the closed eyelid to help loosen and remove the crusted discharge, providing some comfort.
It is necessary to stop wearing contact lenses immediately and discard the current pair and any storage solution or case that may be contaminated. You should not rub your eyes, as this can worsen irritation and potentially push the infection deeper into the eye’s tissues. Over-the-counter remedies cannot cure a bacterial infection, so medical consultation remains the only safe and effective course of action.