Rheum

Rheum (/ˈruːm/; from Greek: , rheume, a flowing, rheum), also known as gound, is thin mucus naturally discharged from the eyes, nose, or mouth during sleep (cf. mucopurulent discharge). Rheum dries and gathers as a crust in the corners of the eyes or the mouth, on the eyelids, or under the nose. It is formed by a combination of mucus (in the case of the eyes, consisting of mucin discharged from the cornea or the conjunctiva), nasal mucus, blood cells, skin cells, or dust. Rheum from the eyes is particularly common. Dried rheum is commonly called sleep,sleepy sand, eye goop or sleep dust.

When the individual is awake, blinking of the eyelid causes rheum to be washed away with tears via the nasolacrimal duct. The absence of this action during sleep, however, results in a small amount of dry rheum accumulating in corners of the eye, most notably in children.

A number of conditions can increase the production of rheum in the eye. In the case of allergic conjunctivitis, the buildup of rheum can be considerable, many times preventing the sufferer from opening the eye upon waking without prior cleansing of the eye area. The presence of pus in an instance of heavy rheum buildup can indicate dry eye or conjunctivitis, among other infections.

In infants, the tear ducts (that drain the tears) occasionally fail to open, resulting in the overflow of tears onto the cheeks (epiphora) and rheum deposition on the surrounding skin.

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