Puffy eyes!!

What Are Puffy Eyes?

Puffy eyes are a situation in which the eyes begin swelling. The skin around the eyes is very thin and is very sensitive. Usually puffy eyes will resolve on their own, or after basic home treatments. But puffy eyes are also symptoms of other eye conditions that may require examination by an eye-care professional.

Who Gets Puffy Eyes?

Puffiness under the eyes is a common symptom of allergies, lack of sleep, stress, and poor diet. Eyes will become puffy when the skin around the eyes becomes irritated and itchy. People who consume large amounts of alcohol and sodium before bed may wake up with puffy eyes due to water retention. 

Stress may cause your skin and eyes, as well as other parts of the body, to weaken and become susceptible to problems such as swelling. Other times, puffy eyes are a symptom of an eye condition such as blepharitis, which is inflammation of the eyelids and base of the eyelashes.

Puffy Eye Symptoms

Additional symptoms that may be present when the eyes are swollen or inflamed include:

Discomfort

Blurry vision

Redness on or around the eye

Eye discharge

Eye pain

Itching or burning sensation

Difficulty seeing; double vision; vision changes

Feeling of foreign body in eye

More serious symptoms include:

Facial and/or neck swelling

Fever

Severe headaches

General ill feeling (nausea, vomiting)

Chills

Difficulty breathing

Causes of Puffy Eyes

Puffy or swollen eyes can be caused by fluid retention, stress, allergies, hormone changes, and other factors. Crying is often accompanied by swollen eyes because the tiny glands in the eyelids that produce tears become inflamed from overactivity. Other times we get puffy eyes after sleeping. This can be caused by too much sodium in the diet, which causes water retention. Puffy eyes can also be caused by lack of sleep or excessive alcohol intake. 

Additional causes of puffy eyes include:

Normal aging process

Skin disorders such as dermatitis

Diet

Hypothyroidism

Dysfunction of tear glands

Nephritic syndrome; puffy eyes may be the first sign of this condition

Contact lenses

Allergies

Conjunctivitis

Blepharitis

Styes

Eye infections

Treatments and Home Remedies for Puffy Eyes

For normal puffy eyes that are not caused by other eye conditions, there are many ways to reduce the swelling. 

The following is a list of ways to treat puffy eyes:

Wash face with ice cold water

Ice or cold packs

Limit sodium intake

Increase vitamin and mineral intake

Drink plenty of water to clean out your system

If puffy eyes are caused by allergies, discontinue using the item that causes the allergic reaction; doctors may also provide shots or prescribe medication

Cream for puffy eyes: Try a soothing eye cream with aloe and Vitamin E.

Eye masks to apply mild pressure to the eyelids at night

You may have noticed that common cucumber and tea bag treatment methods are not mentioned here. This is because these items are not recommended by eye care professionals. Cucumbers are over 90 percent water, and the rest is mainly inert fiber. Although cucumbers do reduce puffy eyes, it is the coldness of the cucumber that does the trick, not the cucumber itself. 

Coldness is known to constrict blood vessels, which reduces the flow of fluid into soft tissues. Eye care professionals recommend using a washcloth dipped in cold water, which has the same effect. 

The reason cucumbers are not recommended is that food sometimes contains bacteria. Putting a possible bacteria source directly onto the eyes can lead to eye infections. The same is true of tea bags.

If your puffy eyes are due to an underlying eye condition, talk with your eye care professional about possible treatments to help reduce and prevent their occurrence. Someone suffering from severe allergies may benefit from prescription-strength antihistamines, while someone suffering from a skin disorder that is affecting the skin around the eyes may benefit from topical creams. 

Avoiding Puffy Eyes

There are several things you can do to prevent your eyes from becoming puffy. Tips to avoid puffy eyes include:

Avoiding rubbing your eyes; apply cold compresses when itching occurs

Avoid irritants such as smoke

Avoid allergens when possible

Drink plenty of water to avoid water retention and to keep your body cleansed

Do not use cucumbers, tea bags, or other foods to reduce puffy eyes; foods contain bacteria that may cause an infection

Increase your vitamin intake

Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol, especially before bed

Avoid or limit sodium (salt) when possible

Talk with your eye doctor about avoiding puffy eyes altogether

As mentioned above, vitamins can play a major role in your eyes’ overall health. Healthy eyes are usually resistant to such problems, and vitamins can help improve the condition of the skin, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels in and around the eyes. 

Get regular bloood tests to ensure your vitamin levels are correct.

At Mediskin we recommend out Intraceuticals infusions to help calm and drain the excess fluid from the eye area. These treatments also help to lift and firm the skin around the eyes helping to reduce the puffy appearance.

These infusions begin at €60 and go up to €90.

For the best advice contact us for a free skin consultation.

You can book online 24/7 by clickin here!