Itchy eyes and white discharge: what to know

Allergic conjunctivitis can make the eyes water and produce white or stringy mucus, often alongside itching, redness or swelling. Dryness and surface irritation can create similar material. Discharge that becomes thick, yellow or green, eyelids stuck together, or symptoms with marked redness may point to infection or another eye problem and should not be self-diagnosed. One eye may be affected more than the other. Contact lens wear, cosmetics and dust can also irritate the eye surface. The appearance of discharge alone cannot identify its cause.

Wash your hands before touching your face, gently clean discharge with clean damp cotton or a fresh cloth, and avoid sharing towels. Do not rub the eyes. Stop contact lenses and eye makeup until the irritation has settled and a clinician has advised that they are safe to resume. A cool compress may ease itching. Ask a pharmacist or doctor about appropriate allergy medication or eye drops; avoid using another person's drops or leftover prescription treatment.

Arrange an eye assessment if discharge keeps returning, becomes thick, or is associated with increasing redness or eyelid swelling. Seek urgent care for severe pain, light sensitivity, blurred or reduced vision, a foreign body or injury, or swelling around the eye. Breathing difficulty or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat is an emergency. Contact lens users should seek prompt advice when pain, redness or vision changes occur.

Does the discharge look more consistent with allergy, dryness or infection? Should I stop contact lenses for now? Which drops are suitable? How should I clean the eye, and what change would require urgent review?