# Why do we get eye gunk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024 "2004-06-01T05:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![purplycow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@purplycow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplycow)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/1 "2004-06-01T05:46:54Z")
You know, the stuff that accumulates in the corners of your eyes … especially when you first wake up. Where does it come from and what is it? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/2 "2004-06-01T10:58:41Z")
related question “what’s it called”? For the life of me, I can’t think of the name. My 4 year old is calling them “eye boogers”, which makes me proud that her English is really coming along, but I know there has to be a more proper term. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/3 "2004-06-01T11:05:07Z")
IANAD but I believe the words you’re looking for are “lachrymal secretions.” But I could be totally wrong. My personal favorite word is an old sniglet, “optigoop.” Whatever the optigoop actually is, my WAG is that it accumulates because you don’t blink when you’re asleep, thus not distributing the secretions by blinking, thus leading to buildup. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/4 "2004-06-01T11:58:15Z")
An earlier thread on this subject: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=56129](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=56129) ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/5 "2004-06-01T12:02:13Z")
We called it ‘sleepy’. ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/6 "2004-06-01T14:09:59Z")
A friend of a sister of mine used to call them “crispies” when they were dry. You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![purplycow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@purplycow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplycow)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/7 "2004-06-01T14:14:53Z")
Thanks for the link to the earlier thread, **bibliophage**! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/8 "2004-06-01T14:23:08Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > An earlier thread on this subject: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=56129](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=56129) Which doesn’t have the answer but links to [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=47460). Which doesn’t have the answer. Or rather, has an answer which may or may not be right. But also includes two other links. Which are dead. Cecil? ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/9 "2004-06-01T15:25:25Z")
> [@China Guy](#): > > My 4 year old is calling them “eye boogers”, which makes me proud that her English is really coming along, but I know there has to be a more proper term. That’s the official term in our family for the phenomenon as well. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-get-eye-gunk/248024/10 "2004-06-01T15:32:28Z")
[http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/flash/body/yuckystuff/eyegunk/js.index.html](http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/flash/body/yuckystuff/eyegunk/js.index.html)