What should you know about discharge coming from eye?

Clear, watery fluid often accompanies wind, dust, dry eyes, or an allergic reaction. Itching and discharge from both eyes can occur with allergic conjunctivitis. Thick yellow or green material, eyelids stuck together after sleep, redness, and soreness can occur with conjunctivitis. A small amount of crust at the inner corner may also collect when tears do not drain freely. The appearance alone cannot identify the cause.

Contact lens wear, a foreign body, or an eye-surface injury deserves extra care because these problems can worsen quickly. Avoid sharing towels or eye products while the cause is uncertain, since some eye infections spread through hand-to-eye contact.

Wash your hands before and after touching the area. Gently clean the lids with sterile saline or cooled boiled water and a fresh clean pad for each eye; wipe from the inner corner outward. Do not scrape crusts away or use someone else’s drops. A cool clean compress may soothe itching, while a warm compress can loosen dried material. Pause contact lenses and eye makeup until the eye is comfortable and discharge has stopped. A pharmacist or clinician can advise whether treatment is needed.

Arrange prompt medical assessment for eye pain, light sensitivity, blurred or reduced vision, marked swelling, an injury, a chemical splash, or a foreign body that will not rinse out. Seek urgent help if symptoms are severe or rapidly worsening. Contact a clinician if discharge persists, keeps returning, or affects a contact-lens wearer. Newborns with eye discharge should be assessed promptly.

Ask what the colour and consistency suggest, whether both eyes are involved, and whether you should pause lenses or use prescribed drops. Mention recent allergies, illness, injury, new cosmetics, and any change in vision.