Eye Care

How To Get Rid of Puffy Eyes And Remove Dark Circles And Eye Bags?

What Are Puffy Eyes?

The puffy eyes and dark circles are seen below the eye and are caused by various factors such as less sleep and rest

One can have puffy eyes and dark circles due to various causes. It is also called periorbital puffiness in which there is swelling and puffiness around the eye. Puffy eyes are not a sign of any disease or any kind of serious medical condition.

However, dark circles are formed under the eye area when a person doesn’t have enough sleep or is under stressful conditions.

Eye bags are mild swellings under the eye. The eye bags are generally treated as an ageing issue i.e, it is seen usually in people who are aged.

 

Causes of Puffy Eyes

The swelling below the eye is caused due to the increased accumulation of fluids below the eye. This accumulation of fluids is called edema. The swelling and puffiness or formation of dark circles and puffy eyes are most common near the eyes because the skin layer near the eye is really thin and swelling is seen prominently.

There are various factors that cause the development of puffy eyes and dark circles i.e, these factors result in the accumulation of fluid below the eye such as

  • Excessive consumption of salt-Increased salt content near the blood vessels of the eye can cause fluid retention inside.
  • If a person is allergic, then due to allergic reactions there is a chance of developing it below your eye.
  • Sinus problems can also cause puffy eyes
  • Loss of water or dehydration
  • Under stressful conditions, one can develop dark circles. These are usually seen in people who are working.
  • Decreased amount of sleep timings and fatigue.
  • Sometimes, it also said that puffy eyes are inherited traits i.e; are passed on from generations. As some of the facial features are inherited from the generations.
  • The most common reason behind it is ageing. An increase in age causes swelling around the eye and the development of puffiness around the eye.
  • Excessive crying can also result in developing puffy eyes.
  • Oversleeping can cause puffy eyes because if one does not blink the eyes while sleeping and this causes accumulation of fluid which results in unusual swollen and puffy eyes. These eyes reduce the swelling in an hour or two after waking up and the trapped fluids are sent back into circulation inside the blood vessels.

Stress Conditions

Under stressful situations, one has more chances of developing dark circles than puffy eyes. These dark circles are formed because stress and dark circles share a deep connection. When a person is stressed, there is a flow of blood to all other parts of the body, except to the face which leads to a pale face. In stress conditions, the person has a pale face due to this reason. Due to this, the blood vessels below the eye are deprived of blood flow. This causes the formation of dark circles below the eye.

 

Ageing Process

When a person is getting aged, a lot of physical changes occur such as loss of hair or growth of white hair, the formation of wrinkles. Among all of these, the common change which is seen is puffy eyes.

As ageing occurs, there is an accumulation of fatty tissue below the eye pushing the skin under the eye forward resulting in the formation of an eye bag. The function of fatty tissue below the eye is that to provide protection to the eyeball under the bony eye socket inside the eye.

The mechanism behind this change is that as ageing processes there is a thinning of a membrane called a septum, which helps in holding the fatty tissue in place in both the upper and lower eyelids. Herniation of fatty tissue occurs and it is pushed forward. This leads to the formation of bags or bulges below the eye.

 

Allergic reactions

When a person having an allergic reaction, then there are certain cells inside the body that releases histamine – a chemical that shows many effects on the body. One of the effects of histamine is a leakage of fluid from blood vessels inside the body. These fluids which are leaked sometimes get trapped in the surrounding tissues that can cause edema (accumulation of fluids).

 

Treatment of Puffy Eyes

There are few treatments which are as given below:

Eye Drops

If puffy eyes and dark circles were caused by allergic reactions, then the use of eye drops can help in reducing irritation

Water

To prevent loss of water i.e, dehydration, drinking an ample amount of water can help.

Cold Compress

In puffy eyes, the use of a cold compress or ice compress can help. Some of the home remedies such as applying cucumber slices on the swollen part or applying chilled tea bags can reduce puffy eyes.

Creams

Use eye creams and drops that are specially made for the treatment of dark circles and puffy eyes The creams that are formulated for this purpose contain phenylephrine, which is used as a vasoconstrictor (constricts blood vessels). It decreases the diameter of the puffy eyes. The constriction of blood vessels can help in reducing fluid leakage which reduces puffiness around the eye.

Diet And Enough Sleep

To reduce edema inside the body, the diet must contain potassium-rich foods to remove excess fluids from the body. Enough rest and proper sleep can reduce dark circles and puffy eyes condition.

 

Treatment For Dark Circles

The dark circles are formed under stressful conditions so vasoconstriction of blood vessels can help in making the blood vessels smaller so it can help in treating dark circles.

Having enough sleep and sleeping with a head in an elevated position can help in reducing dark circles.  Also, the help of cosmetics such as concealer help in reducing dark circles. The blood vessel constriction decreases the darkness.

 

Related Risks And Complications

The dark circles and puffy eyes can show the following risk factors i.e, these conditions can be a sign or symptom for another medical problem. For example, bulging of eyes can be seen in a patient suffering from thyroid problems. In thyroid problems like Graves’disease, there is a swelling of muscles and tissues. So, puffy eyes can be a symptom of Graves’s disease.

The dark circles and puffy eyes can also signal the presence of eye infections or allergic reactions. During an eye infection, there is an inflammation around the eye and this inflammation can also affect the eyelids present besides. Dry eyes condition can also develop puffy eyes and dark circles.

Sometimes, organ failures such as kidney failure can show inflammation throughout the body, which causes puffy eyes.

In case of an inherited trait or ageing issues, the treatment of puffy eyes is by performing cosmetic surgery with the help of a cosmetic surgeon. Various cosmetic options include eyelid blepharoplasty, laser skin treatment, and some skincare products. In blepharoplasty, the tightening of the skin under the skin by removing the extra fatty tissues inside the eye muscles decreases the excessive skin and puffiness and wrinkles.

 

The best way to treat your eyes is to visit your eye care professional and get your eyes checked regularly. He will be able to assess the best method of treatment for your eye ailment. Visit our website Eyemantra. To book an appointment call +91-8851044355. Or mail us at eyemantra1@gmail.com. Our other services include Retina SurgerySpecs RemovalCataract Surgery, and many more.

Related Articles :

Coloured Contact Lenses

Eye Flu

Computer Eye Strain