Mucus fishing TikTok trend harms eye and mental health, doctors warn

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Hopefully you’ve had the foresight to avoid this one.

“Mucus fishing” is the latest gross-out TikTok trend, in which users force out gunk from their irritated eyes using Q-tips and their own fingers because it apparently is aesthetically pleasing or soothing to view — for some.

But it can be detrimental to one’s optical and mental health, doctors warn.

At worst, the eye-picking can lead to “mucus fishing syndrome,” characterized by what happens when someone repeatedly yanks normal, healthy fluids out if their eyes.

“The mucus also contains a number of substances that protect the eye from infections with bacteria, fungi and viruses,” Cleveland Clinic ophthalmologist Rony Sayegh told The Post. What most people don’t know, Sayegh said, is that regular tears aren’t enough to keep eyeballs sufficiently lubricated.

More, reaching into one’s peepers is generally a no-no, he said. “The repeated trauma with fingers that have not been washed could potentially lead to eye infections… scarring of the surface of the eye or inner side of the eyelid can also occur.” 

Just like scratching a rash or picking a scab, pulling out eye mucus will only make the eyes more watery as they try to compensate, plastic surgeon Anthony Youn warned in a TikTok.

“I highly recommend not trying this hack as the more mucus you pull from your eyes, the more it reappears,” he said in the video.

And it’s not just bad for ocular health, experts warn.

Seeing people do the pokey practice over and over on TikTok is also potentially damaging to viewers’ mental health, clinical psychology director Jordan Vyas-Lee told the Sun.

Vyas-Lee said mucus fishing has a “shared characteristic with OCD” and is often connected with parts of the brain that deal with “automated behavior” not governed by thinking or even anxious reactions.

“Once a behavioral pattern has been initiated — in the instance of TikTok-induced [mucus fishing syndrome], possibly through copying and fad — a habit pathway is quickly formed in the brain.”

Dr. Sayegh also noted that mucus fishing can go hand-in-hand with another tic, called trichotillomania, in which sufferers compulsively pull out their own hair. When they yank at their eyelashes, this can also create eye irritation — which also ramps up mucus production.

He added that for all of these reasons, mucus fishing syndrome can be tricky to diagnose.

“Unfortunately, some patients may not admit to touching their eyes frequently or even deny it, which may make the diagnosis more challenging,” Sayegh said. 

Vyas-Lee warns that mucus fishing syndrome can become mood-altering and even affect social skills.

“Picking sessions can consume even more time, some sufferers might begin to avoid social situations for fear of judgment, and low mood or anxiety might become more permanent issues as a result.”

So once you’ve started mucus fishing, how do you learn to fight the urge?

Figuring out why there is a compulsion to pick is an important step towards conquering the problem, according to Sayegh.

If the mucus fishing has gotten out of control, Vyas-Lee suggests that therapy, anti-anxiety or depression medication can be helpful.

But breaking the cycle of eye-picking is crucial for healthy vision.

“An important step in treating mucus fishing syndrome is to control the underlying condition that is leading to the increased mucus production,” Sayegh said. “Avoiding touching your eyes is essential in breaking the cycle of the disease.”

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