Rheum

 ( Body Fluids ) 

Rheum (; from Greek language: rheuma 'a flowing, rheum') is a thin mucus naturally discharged from the , nose, or mouth, often during sleep (contrast with mucopurulent discharge).Amodio, Aimee. "Where Do Eye Boogers Come From?" , Families.com blogHiskey, Daven. "What the 'Sleep' In Your Eyes Is", Today I Found Out, 23 February 2011. Rheum dries and gathers as a crust in the corners of the eyes or the mouth, on the eyelids, or under the nose. It is formed by a combination of mucus (in the case of the eyes, consisting of mucin discharged from the cornea or the Conjuctiva), nasal mucus, , Skin, or dust.

Rheum from the eyes is particularly common. Dried rheum near the eyes is commonly called 'sleep',

'sleepy-seeds', 'sleepy buds',Eric Partridge, Paul Beale, ed., A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, 8th edition, 1984, s.v. 'sleepy sand', 'eye boogers', 'eye goop', 'sleepies', or 'eye gunk'. When the individual is awake, blinking of the eyelid causes rheum to be washed away with tears via the nasolacrimal duct. The absence of this action during sleep, however, results in a small amount of dry rheum accumulating in corners of the eye.

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Medical conditions A number of conditions can increase the production of rheum in the eye. In the case of allergic conjunctivitis, the buildup of rheum can be considerable, preventing the patient from opening one or both of the eyes upon waking without prior cleansing of the eye area. The presence of pus in an instance of heavy rheum buildup can indicate dry eye or conjunctivitis, among other infections.

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See also

• Mucopurulent discharge

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External links

• Why Is There Gunk in My Eye? at WebMD

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