Clear,Long,Stringy Goo in Eye Constantly

Hi, I am 31 and as long as I can remember I have had problems with my eyes. Througout the day I have to wash out eyes, out my fingers in eye to remove the stuff- I know this can't be good but it happens so often I have to. It is clear, and runs in the bottom of eye, on eye, top of inside eye, long stringy goo. I can lightly wet a cutip- put in inside corner of eye and spin. The stuff goes from top to bottom. It is such an irritant. What could this be- I went to dr before and they said it was allergies. All the time I dont think so. I have really long eyelashes could that have something to do with it. I cant even wear makeup because it makes much more stuff in eye. Please any advice will help.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You need to see a Eye MD ideally one that specializes in cornea and external disease. Find one at www.aao.org

JCH MD

[wsosa69]

I too have this problem, I think it started a few years after I started wearing contacts. I have to clean out my eyes about three or four times a day. Whenever I take a shower and I'm wearing my contacts I'll have it. When I wake up in the moring and at night my eyes get really dry and it starts to build up. I'm 32 and I've had it for a little more than ten years now. The doctor gave me some eye drops a few years back and it didn't really work. I just wash my hands and stick my finger on the bottom of my eye and it sticks and then try to follow it to get it all out and I'll be good for a few hours. This ***** and I wish there was something too stop this from happening.

[jenntendo]

Wow!  Thought I was the only with this issue...  Someone please tell us what this is and how to make it stop.  I'm 30 and this "eye goo" started appearing about 15 years ago.  I can work the string to the inner part of my eye and usually pull most of it out.  I don't wear contacts or glasses and eyedrops irritate my eyes. So, I'm not sure what is causing this and I hope eyedrops aren't the only cure! This stuff is annoying, sometimes painful, and if it's over my pupil, I can't see clearly.  I seriously hope someone can help us out!

[CSBDR]

"Mucus fishing syndrome" - look it up.  You will never get over this until you can COMPLETELY STOP puting fingers/kleenex/anything in your eyes.  See EyeMD for help.

[QuestionativeDessie]

This is crazy...I finally after all this time decided to look this up and I didn't think I would find anything! I thought I was the only weirdo pulling crap out of my eyes. Since I was like 11 maybe I've been rubbing the corners or red part of my eye and pulling like this long clear or white stringy thing out. And it feels so relieving but then once you do it it's like your eye is uncomfortable until you get the rest of whatever is in there out? By the time I'm done my whole eye gets red and burns to even touch it. What in the world is this??

[josie74]

i have had this for years. it really does hurt, and i know i shouldnt put my fingernails in my eye, but i cant not! one remedy is make a cup of tea and put warm teabag on your eye. very soothing..... not anything funky like lemon tea,

[punkmunkey]

I also have had this for quite sometime now. Years, I believe. I too have dug in my eye with my fingers until it hurts! The goo is there when I wake up and I have to clean it out. It seems that I can pretty much do it anytime throughout the day and find something. At least 2 or 3 times throughout the day, I can get the ones that go all around my entire eye! Top to bottom and corner to corner. It's SO WEIRD!! And feels so relieving and good in a strange way. Why does it form?? Where does it come from?? I have advice for some of you, I have found a very easy way to do this without hurting myself. 1-Get a bottle of ClearEyes (visine irritates my eyes). 2-Whenever you feel something that needs to come out, you know the feeling, put a drop in each eye. 3-open your eyes wide as you can and move your eyes all around (that will move junk to the corner of your eye). 4-put end of q-tip right in the inside corner of your eye, so that it touches your eyeball a little bit, twist a tiny bit, lift slowly. It ALWAYS works for me. If it doesn't work the first time, you can always get on the second time. Good Luck, I hope it works just as well for you.

[punkmunkey]

Sorry, forgot to add. I find it a whole lot easier getting all or most of goo at one time, when the eye is wet (ClearEyes), rather than dry. But, REMEMBER to use the q-tip. A q-tip at any given time is probably more sanitary than your fingers and less irritating. :-)

[bgh99]

I have this problem to it started with the stuff in my eye being irritating and somethings it goes across your eye and then you have to get it out to see better.then you keep doing it all the time and cant stop like me.Is there no help for this but to stop doing it?I mean is there help with the mucus anything to make less mucus like and eyedrop or pill?anyone know?Im guess the more we keep putting our finger in our eye lids to get the stuff out the more were  irritating our eyes but its really hard to stop doing this as it always feels like somethings in your eye.

[tee285]

I thought I was the only one this happens to. I pick with my eye until I feel its gone. It drives me crazy everyday, Im reading post with people saying contacts.I have never worn contacts nore have I had glasses.

[Lizz67]

I, too, thought I was the only person with this icky, embarrassing condition.  I have the mucus, the amount, the constant urge to clean out my eye, etc.  I've had this at 11 years.
My optomitrist has told me this an allergic reaction.  He has repeatedly prescribed drops that contain antibiotics and steroids.  I can't recall the name, but they have never worked (except I think I remember one gunk-free week).
My GP also prescribed the same medicine once or twice.
From my interent research these symptoms are allergic.

What I don't get is why I don't have allergic reactions anywhere else - my other eye is fine, I don't have a chronically runny nose, or wheezing.
My opt. rolled his eyes when I mentioned I was getting a cat, but again I don't seem to be allergic to my cats - I've had them for 16 years.
I agree - -What's up??!!  I'm seeing (no pun) an opthomologist next week for another problem.  If I learn anything I'll post.

[ashley376]

i have the same problems! geez i thought i was going crazy! i want to my eye dr like 50 times and he perscribed me so many diff steroid drops and everything u could imagine! at first it was bacterial infection, then it was allergies, then it was conjunctivitis, then he thought i was having an allergic reaction so something.. anow he thinks my eyes are just super super dry.. well **** i wonder why ! but pretty much i still have the stuff in my eyes along with a bajillion perscribed eyedrops that never worked.. i dont know what to do i am messing with my eyes so much that it is causing bags under my eyes! someone please help and find a reson my eyes.. along with everyone elses are on the fritz!!!!

[BLUEDOGDAN]

I too have all of these symptoms and it's really getting me down. Sometimes I'll be driving to work and my eye will blur. It goes away if I blink a few times but of course comes back until I can wash out or clear the goo from the corner or lower lid of my eye. I get bags under my eyes too from all the constant searching and pullling around the lids. My eyes are always uncomfortable. I get headaches most days. I am now finding that my right eye is really sensitive to light - especially from TV and laptop etc.
One worrying thing that is making me wonder if this is hereditary: my 7 year old son has just described the exact same symptoms as me. I didn't get this until a couple of years ago!
If anybody can provide any long term help or relief suggestions I would be really pleased.

[Twigette]

I too have this problem and it is so irritating. My eyes always feel weirdly wet. I use q-tips,kleenex, and sometimes my fingers or shirt to get this clear stringy goo out of my eye. I really hate when it gets on my eye and everything goes blury. About 2 months ago I went to the ER because I had something in my eye, the nurse was like what is that gel stuff in your eye. I said I don't know you tell me. I have had it as long as I can remember, anybody finds a way to make it stop let me know please.

[Leggo2014]

I'm 15 and I have this problem. I'm all ways itching my eyes because it feel like theres an eyelash or somthing. But it's those white long stringy things. My friends think I'm weird because of it.

[Leggo2014]

I'm 15 and I have this problem. I'm all ways itching my eyes because it feel like theres an eyelash or somthing. But it's those white long stringy things. My friends think I'm weird because of it.

[sigy1981]

OMG I WAS SCARED TO TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THIS!
i thought i was the only person!! it gets that bad i cant even watch a film im constantly messin with my eyes and it gets really saw and red raw!! its actualy satisfies me now to get it out but 2 mins later ive got my fingers in my eyes!!!! please help!! its ruining my life literaly!!!

[sigy1981]

OMG I WAS SCARED TO TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THIS!
i thought i was the only person!! it gets that bad i cant even watch a film im constantly messin with my eyes and it gets really saw and red raw!! its actualy satisfies me now to get it out but 2 mins later ive got my fingers in my eyes!!!! please help!! its ruining my life literaly!!!

[achillea]

This is called 'mucus fishing syndrome':

http://www.drmalcolmmckellar.co.nz/mucous-fishing-syndrome.html

Apparently it usually starts because of some kind of irritation, but it becomes an obsession in some people, so treatment inivolves a certain amount of psychological awareness.

[Js0510]

I have had this problem sense I was probably like nine And I'm now 24. It's soo embarassing! Especially when I'm around other people! They're probably thinking, what in the world is that woman doing?! I just wish it go away. . It's soo hard to stop, or just not do it, it's almost like an addicting drug! My eye dr. Told me I had "chronic dry eye" and gave me a few eye drops and said to use them whenever I felt it. Well bs, who wants to put eyed tops in their eyes ALL day?! There HAS to be something else out there for this. I'm so scared that by the time im like 30 or so, my eyes will be all droopy or something from pulling them down all the time. . PLEASE, someone. . HELLLP

[achillea]

I would suggest a two-pronged approach to your problem.  

1. You need to see another eye doc who is familiar with 'Mucus Fishing' and who will prescribe serious meds to quiet down the inflammation and irritation in your eyes and make them more comfortable.

2.  After such a long time, you probably will also need the help of a therapist, as well, because bviously, the activity has become sort of compulsive for you, and you don't love it.  Who would?  And you are right: people probably do stare at you, because it is strange behavior.

Here's more info:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11712630

[sassytookute]

I have this same problem! As of now, it's April 15, 2012 and i started wearing color contacts(honey) in January 2012. On the date of April 13, 2012 i bagan to start having this nasty mucus stuff blind me on the left side of my contact in my left eye. I use my finger to get it out when it moves to the bottom of my eye and it is very slimmy and gross looking mucus stuff. I need help to get rid of it because it is sooooo irritating!!!

p.s. It started after i started wearing contacts.

[Jane2368]

It's sounds like conjunctivitis and it's contagious.  You need to get a prescription from you physician to get rid of it.

[ilovelucy420]

stop touching your eyes! it will keep coming back until you stop. what you need to do is get a large bowl and fill it with water. put it in the microwave for 4-5 mins to boil the water, then add about 1 teaspoon salt and stir til you can see the salt dissolve. if the water is too hot to touch, wait for it to cool down just enough to stand the hot temperature on your face. once it is at the right temperature, hold your breath and dip your whole face into the water for 30 seconds, opening your eyes a few times so that the salt water can kill any bacteria that is in your eye and causing it to be irritated. pat your face and eyes dry with a CLEAN piece of paper towel. DO NOT STICK ANYTHING IN YOUR EYE AT ALL AFTER THIS, or you'll have to start again. by the time you've slept and wake up the next morning, you'll notice your eyes will have improved greatly, if not completely.
(repeat if neccesary.)

[jaysta36]

you need to take silica from health shop,it will help stop the mucus build up,by stopping you producing it,also take 1 allergy tablet in morning take few days to kick in does work!

[fefec95]

I have this problem frequently. I am sixteen years old and have worn glasses my entire life. I only started wearing contacts when I was twelve. I've been to the eye doctor multiple times with this and each time I am told my eyes have built up an allergic reaction to my contacts. I've had this many times since I was 15 and it keeps coming back. I've changed my contact brand multiple times. They try and blame it that I over wear my contacts and sleep in them; I only wear them a day each and NEVER sleep in them. Each time I am given Pred Forte drops to make the "eye goo" go away. It works for a while, but a few weeks/ months later it's back. I wish it would go away!! If any of you find something that permanently relieves this please let me know! thanks.

[achillea]

This actually has a name. It is called 'mucus-fishing syndrome.'. It usually begins with some kind of real eye irritation, but in some people it takes on a life of its own, kind of an obsessive-compulsive thing.  In general, curing ti. seems to require an eye doc to quiet down the eye irritation--plus a psychologist's or psychiatrist's help for the emotional compulsion.

Here is more info:

http://www.drmalcolmmckellar.co.nz/mucous-fishing-syndrome.html

[coquettecapri]

Your info will be my first real attack on eye goo issue. I'll report back txs. I feel good about at least trying your method and pleazz hope it works for me! KT

[chelsea773]

You can also use a variation of ilovelucy's suggestion and create the salt water mixture and use an eye dropper to drop a few drops of the solution in your eyes.  However, it is important you create a new solution every day so the solution doesn't grow bacteria.  Good luck!

[CSHM]

Argh...now i realize i'm not the only one that always try to stick my finger into my eyes to pull out the stringy white goo. I'm 32 and i started to have this problem for almost 3 years, where i started to have this when i was working oversea (UK), and carry this back to my home country (Malaysia) till now.
As anyone else here did, i went to so many eye specialists and i've been hearing from the doctor that my eyes are healthy, pressure okay, might be allergy with shampoo/skincare, nothing serious in particular, just my eyes a bit dry. I was given lots of eye lybricants, oinment, drops, sterile drops...etc etc and still the problem persists.
My last visit to eye specialist was 4 weeks ago, where this time the doctor actually introduce a new term 'Mucus Fishing Syndrome' which achillea keep posting previously, and he gave me 2 eye drops, Allergan Relestat Sterile drop to put day and night, and Systane Balance lubricant eye drop to put during the days whenever needed.
However, the above drops don't seem to resolve the problem yet, but it does make my eyes feel more relief and less stingy.
I can't wear contact lens now because the mucus will be generated so frequently and it feels like eyelashes/stuffs stuck in my eyes that forces me to pull out my contacts. :( My eyes are so baggy and so sore most of the times now.
Do share if anyone have tried out new remedies that works.

[Bazzinga]

Wow I have had the same thing for years we cannot all be crazy this has to be an unknown condition!! I have seen four doctors and an eye specialist and still no difference. Eye drops/gel/ointment, antibiotics and allergy medication!! None worked ;((((

[achillea]

It's VERY well known, but somewhat difficult to treat.  Google 'mucus fishing syndrome.'  You'll get a lot of hits like this one:

http://www.revoptom.com/content/d/comanagement_q___and___a/i/1350/c/25906/

Reading about it enough to understand and accept what is going on will help.

[mzladyb80]

ASE SOMEONE GIVE US A FEASIBLE ANSWER

[mzladyb80]

FIRST I want to start by saying...HAS ANYONE NOTICED THAT A LOT OF PPL SUFFERING FRM THIS ARE WITHIN THE SAME AGE RANGE??!! I am 32 and have been suffering from this eye mucus since I was 17. I am CONSTANTLY feeling this in one or both eyes and it feels like sand is in my eye, i cant go 5 minutes without rushing to the mirror and scourge the mucus out of my eye or eyes! EYE FISHING SYNDROME!? PAH! That was someones way out of doing some research in the matter so they just call us all crazy and label us as having EYE FISHING SYNDROME! DUDE! THERE IS MUCUS IN OUR EYES AND NOTHING WORKS! HELP, RESEARCH PLEASE DRS, NOT LABEL AND RIDICULE US! I bet if an eye dr was experiencing this themselves, they would put forth the effort to really find out about this "disease".  NO ONE IS IMAGINING THIS IT IS REAL SYMPTOMS AND REAL PEOPLE!

[majie782]

im 16 years old now and im having the same watery eye problem, i'v noticed that my eye shape changed too as it was bigger before the age of 16..... this has become soo irritating especially when it comes to yawning as more water is produced and that phrase of "eye fishing syndrome" i hate this feeling it's the most annoying-est thing that has ever happened to me!! plz someone do something about this .....

[lynn0318]

I'm 24 and mine started around 4-5 years ago. I had been really sick with a cold or whatever and I was on the phone with a client at work and she was talking about how she had been really sick. She said "you know I always put off going to the doctor but I reached my limit the other day, even my eyes are getting gross.. I have slime in them." I thought OH, maybe that's all mine is, went to the doctor, crap crap crap.

I got contacts a couple years later and it started getting worse.. told the doctor, changed solutions a hundred times like he said, crap crap crap crap..

I've googled before but never get an answer.. just people saying the same thing. I'm googling again today because my eye was so damn irritated, I kept opening my eye really wide and lifting up my top lid because it almost feels like something's trapped under my upper lid.. I honestly thought I'd find AT LEAST an eyelash. Didn't see anything, but kept getting the goo in the corner of my eye, which usually it doesn't build up that fast unless I put in eye drops or something. Usually it's small strings in the bottom lid.. (my eyes also have bags, are raw and sore, etc.).. So finally my eye started watering super bad and i just kept blinking really hard.. after one of the blinks, I opened my eyes and look in the mirror because I could feel something HUGE.. It was a BIG thing of goo.. nothing like I usually find. It was like really thick and almost green?!? So eye fisher people, was I just supposed to let that big green slime ball sit in my eye? I couldn't even see! Even when it's just the normal string things, when they slide across your eye, you can't see.. everything is blurry!

[Jetebugg]

I am 14 and I too have this problem.. It hurts so bad!! Everyone says that I shouldn't touch it, but they are so erritating. I mess with them until they hurt so bad and they are swollen! The doctor says they are allergies and I have used several eye drops, but yet none of them work. My mom just recently started letting me wear make up, but now I can't because of my eyes. It's really embarrissing when your at school and someone says you have green goop at the corner of your eye. I wish it would just go away because it hurts so bad. What is this masterious creature and why does it mess with us?

[mecrab]

i am 26 it just started doctor says its dry eye and my eye has cracks because of it common in peopel w contacts. i have 20/20 vision up til this problem and i pull the discharge out of my eye constantly. he said id have to live with it. what is it. why did it happen out of the blue and what do i do. PLEASE HELP ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[spoerl98d]

never realized how serious this was i first had this problem when i came home from college and my allergies started acting up runny nose non stop sneezing the itchy eyes then extremely itchy eyes no body could see any thing in my eye for almost a day then i saw it string in my bottom eye lid pulled it out and instant relief went to sleep and made my eye tear up a little before i closed it to sleep and when i woke up it was all crusty around my eye lashes washed my face and did not have a problem until recently when my allergy started acting up again used some old pink eye drops from my dad that were still in the medicine cabinet and it brought most  the mucus to the corner still had a string under my bottom eyelid i had to find and pull out after a few hrs cleaned my eye out put another drop in before went to sleep and again crust outside my eye when i woke up but once i clean that off when i wash my face in the morning i do not have a problem

[ikki41]

I started getting this weird occurrence in my right eye I just hope it doesn't happen on my left eye. This long string substance blocks my vision, I thought I was going blind I hope I'm not, not sure why this is happening to me at the age of 19, it really does bother me.  I want to be able to see clearly with my eyes without, feeling worried and it's just annoying, my right eye is constantly itchy, it's hard not trying to rub it. I want answers as to why this is happening, now I have to take eye drops on a regular basis.

[djtown]

I have this do u have other symptoms any tight skin or dry looking skin, any sores or newly noticed freckles or moles? Also any did
Digestive issues or problems with teeth
Or Gums

[b3retta89gtu]

This is more than likely allergic conjunctivitis... usually nothing serious and caused mainly by something irritating they eye (allergies, dry eyes, smoking, contacts, your finger, cotton swabs, etc.) If the discharge is clear or light yellow it's normal but if it's a darker color of yellow or green then you may have a viral infection. Your options are to A) stop being around or using whatever is irritating your eyes. B) use antihistamine eye drops to inhibit the allergic reaction if it's caused by allergies. or C) use a saline eye solution to keep eyes moist if it's caused by dry eyes. If it's serious (like you can't open your eyes or they're extremely red and agitated) I would recommend seeing a doctor soon. If you wear contact lenses then don't sleep in them and I would personally recommend letting them soak in the clear care contact solution as it does a better job at disinfecting and cleaning contacts.  

[jawajawaj]

I've had white eye goo for years, needing to be removed several times a day, usually every 6 hours or so.  This, despite vigorous washing of my face, eye sockets, forehead with soap and a cloth every morning.  My eye doctor had suggested that I needed to wash that way, that this goo was something "homeless people" have when they don't wash enough.
But despite all the washing, it's still there just like before.  I'm trying to connect the dots on several symptoms I have where all the relevant doctors have said "I don't know why that happens" to the tune of thousands of dollars.  (My next career will be  a doctor, charging people to tell them you have no idea what their problem is seems very lucrative indeed)

Here's my combination of symptoms above the neck:  Eye goo, high pressure in one of my eyeballs similar to Glaucoma, but it's not Glaucoma, just that my baseline eyeball pressure inside is above normal.  Other symptoms:  Very sensitive gums, for two years now, have trouble with cold liquids, sometimes sugar, also gums have receeded a bit on same side.   Vasomotor Rhinitis - On the same side of my head that accumulates eye goo, has sensitve gums, and elevated eye pressure, the nose is usually blocked due to swollen turbinates.  Can't pass air through it hardly at all.  Not much plegm at all, but still swollen.  I've tried eliminating Gluten and Dairy, no change at all.  Next I'll try eliminating sugar and coffee.

I have to wonder if there is some general irritant, infection, or condition in the nervous system that is causing an overreaction in some of my autonomic responses in the left side of my head.  Anyone else have this combination?

[KINGEMRALD]

i definitely know how you feel! I'm 13 and every single minute of every single second there is something in my eye. i think this comes from my excessive touching my eye, but i cant help it. I always get comments on how "toasted" i look. Everyday someone tells me I have sleep in my eyes and it makes me look bad. I normally get this around this time because pollen is everywhere. How do you cure something that you cant get away from. It helps sometimes to wash my face or eyes but  it always ends up coming back with a vengeance. I also pick in my eye only making it look worse.
What are some things you try?
PICKING IN MY EYES NOW!

[mawmawkittykat]

i think it is allergies,i have ALWAYS had problems with my eyes....itchy constantly feeling like something would be crawling around,then i rinse them with water and the burn actually feels so relieving,not even visine allergy works.....try taking a dose of allergy medicine....this SOMETIMES works. There is some eye drops by aquafin i think its aqua something and it feels really cold and it gets that itch

[achillea]

If it really is a problem with allergies, there are several OTC antihistamine-type eyedrops (different from the "get the red out" products) that are definitely worth trying.  One is Alaway.  You might be surprised at how effective these things can be for itchy, allergic eyes.

[ambient766]

Try a teabag moistened herbal tea on your eyes.

[Mrjonrosas817]

I am 25 and I got this same thing going in with me :-( I wish there was something I can do :-( is there anything I can use to wash out my eye with out using my hands? This stringy stuff in my eye makes my eye feel dry when I blink and it kinda burns.

[jennm4200]

Thank you! Im sitting here getting irritated with this term. This sh*t Im pulling out of my eyes isnt psychological. everytime i pull it i can feel it tickling the back parts of my eyes! Its driving me nuts!. I dont need therapy for this. Its really happening. Im so glad you said something. all these posts about mucus fishing syndrome to me implies were nuts. It mainly happens when Im wearing makeup and it really happens

[jennm4200]

I also just read about that syndrome. It doesnt say therpay, It says educate them to not touch their eyes. But hows that possible when you cant see? well thanks for the venting!

[JackM829]

I don't think they're saying your nuts, they're saying picking at your eye is causing the problem so you're stuck in a vicious cycle.

I suppose if you can't leave it along, just make sure your hands are clean the next time you pick at your eye because putting hands in your eye is a bad idea since your hands are probably full of bacteria.