WHAT’S THE GUNK IN THE CORNER OF MY EYES?

You might’ve heard some people call that gunk “eye boogers,” but it actually has a technical name: rheum. Rheum is made up of eye mucus, skin cells, oil and other debris. During the day, you blink away all of the debris before it can get stuck in the corner of your eyes. But because you don’t blink when you’re sleeping, rheum is able to build up. The gunk can be sticky or crusty depending on how long it’s been sitting in your eyes. Waking up to rheum is totally normal; however, getting a lot of eye gunk when you’re awake could be a sign of an eye infection.