Definition
Ocular secretion consists in the loss of a liquid, more or less dense, stringy and colored, from one or both eyes. The material that comes out looks different from tears; the secretion, in fact, can be serous, mucous, purulent, foamy or filamentous.
In most cases, ocular secretion is a symptom associated with allergic or infectious conjunctivitis. In the latter case, distinguishing between infectious conjunctivitis of bacterial and viral origin is not always easy. Generally, the bacterial forms present with abundant purulent or mucopurulent secretions of yellow or greenish color, especially in the morning (they can form sticky crusts on the eyelids during night rest). Viral conjunctivitis, on the other hand, is manifested by aqueous, clear and little purulent secretion.
Allergic conjunctivitis can generally be distinguished from infectious conjunctivitis due to the predominance of itching, clear viscous secretion and the presence of other typical allergic symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, etc.).
Other conditions that give rise to ocular secretion are corneal ulcers, dacryocystitis (infection of the lacrimal sac), blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid margin), dry eye syndrome and ophthalmic herpes zoster.
Possible Causes * of Ocular Secretion
- Blepharitis
- chalazion
- Conjunctivitis
- dacryocystitis
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Herpes zoster ophthalmic
- stye
- pinguecula
- Dry eye syndrome
- Trachoma
- Corneal ulcer
