If you have a hard time opening your eyes in the morning thanks to all the crust accumulated around your eyes, this article is for you. Most of us, often wake up with weird, part gooey and part crusty boogers around our eyes and not everyone knows what they are.

Fret not, here's all you need to know about this weird stuff, which is prohibiting you from taking an au-naturel I-WOKE-UP-LIKE-THIS selfie.

Referred to as rheum by the eye doctors, this eye discharge is a combination of mucus, skin cells, oils and dust. While rheum doesn't cause any trouble while you are awake as it gets cleaned away with your blinking.

also read Singh the Majestic Courage: Singh literally means tiger

It is when you sleep and you are not blinking, this booger accumulates in the corner of your eyes. Overnight when exposed to air, it dries and hardens, making it sometimes irritating and almost impossible to get rid off.

What is the right way to clean up this eye-booger?

While the reflex reaction is to dig your finger and take it out, it is not the correct or the most hygienic way. Chances are, you can end scratching your eyes or infect your eyes by transferring bacteria from your fingers.

The correct way to get rid of these eye boogers is to wash your face with lukewarm water. You can also wet a washcloth in warm water and gently wipe the eye crusts away.

Noticing something unusual with your eye gunk? It may signal something more.

Conjunctivitis: The eye discharge is largely made up of mucus, but if you notice that there is more crust than usual which is making it difficult to even open your eyes, it may be the case of conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. In addition to more crust around your eyes, your eyes can be irritable, red and very itchy.

Dry eye: It is a condition where your eyes do not produce enough tears to keep themselves moisturized. Dry eye can cause inflammation or even infection, leading to more rheum production

As a rule of thumb, if you notice anything different with your eye boogers--in size or in the consistency of the mucus--you should monitor it very closely. Chances are there are that you may have some sort of infection that may need immediate attention.

also read The Eightfold Path of Buddhism: the enlightenment to be realized