What do YOU call it? Social media divided over gunk in eyes,
A fiery debate has erupted on social over what you call the gunk that collects in your eyes overnight.
Taking to X yesterday, @manuukenya asked: ‘Students of english what do we call that thing that comes out from our eye in the morning I’m tired of pretending.’
His question quickly spread across the platform, with 14.5 million views, 4,500 replies, and 125,000 likes to date.
Based on the replies, it seems everyone has their own word for the strange substance.
‘It is one of those things we all have but nobody wants to name properly in polite conversation,’ one user replied.
‘Sleep’ appears to be a popular choice, along with similar variations including ‘sleepies’, and ‘sleepy stuff’.
‘Eye boogers’ was also a common option, with one user suggesting: ‘It’s called eye boogers, I thought it’s common knowledge.’
So, do you know its true scientific name?
Replying to @manuukenya, X users have suggested a range of names for the eye gunk.
‘I’ve always literally just called it sleep,’ one user replied.
Another added: ‘The common term is eye crust, or eye boogers.’
And one joked: ‘It is hilarious how we try to act fancy while talking about literal eye crust. Keeping it simple as “sleep” is way more hug worthy and less gross during breakfast right?’
The real name for eye discharge is ‘rheum’, and while it might look disgusting, it actually serves an important purpose.
‘Eye discharge has a protective function, removing waste products and potentially harmful debris from the tear film and the front surface of your eyes,’ explained All About Vision.
‘Your eyes produce mucus throughout the day. But a continuous thin film of tears bathes your eyes when you blink, flushing out the rheum before it hardens in your eyes.
‘When you’re asleep — and not blinking — eye discharge collects and crusts in the corners of your eyes and sometimes along the lash line, hence the term “sleep” in your eyes.’
While a little bit of rheum in your eyes when you wake up is normal, heavy eye discharge should raise alarm bells for you.
‘Excessive eye discharge, especially if it’s green or yellow in color and accompanied by blurry vision, light sensitivity or eye pain, can indicate a serious eye infection or eye disease and should be promptly examined by your eye doctor,’ All About Vision added.
On X, many users were surprised to learn rheum’s official name.
‘I refuse to accept that name. Doesn’t fit one bit,’ one user tweeted.
Another added: ‘Using the medical term makes it sound way more fancy than it actually is right.’
And one joked: ‘i will not be saying rheum in real life.’
