Eye Puffiness: Surprising Reasons and Tips to Get Rid of Them

Your eyes are really sensitive and so is the surrounding. Hence, it’s essential to identify the causes of your puffy eyes so you can address the problem quickly and efficiently. Many things can contribute to the puffy eyes and dark circles under the eyes, but the underlying cause has to do with fluid accumulation. However, the cause of fluid retention is harmless and regularly unrelated to some serious diseases.

Puffy eyes generally result from a variety of factors, from environmental factors to underlying health problems. Let’s find out!

1.Exposure to heating

Turning on the heater and spending a long time in the room can surely make your eyes drier and more sensitive than as usual. According to science, the heat dries your eyes out, leading to dehydration of mucous membranes in the eyes. As the result, it forces mucous membrane to thicken as a protection against swollen eyes.

2.Fatigue and lack of sleep

Lack of sleep is probably the main culprit behind eyes puffiness. You know, the skin surrounding your eyes is very thin, which means that the blood vessels are closer to the surface. When you don’t sleep enough at night, the blood vessels dilate. Therefore, blood flow increases, the skin under your eyes is thinner and the dark tint is much more noticeable here.

Surprisingly, not scoring enough snooze time can result in puffiness too, says Dr. Jaliman.

Adopting good lifestyle habits is a good idea, and the quality of sleep can make a clear difference in the quality of life and eyes appearance as well. Simply, if you keep a regular sleep-wake schedule you’ll feel much more refreshed and energized.

3. Allergies

Puffy eyes are a common symptom related to allergies including pollen, animal dander, or dust mites. Also, allergens that reach the eyes through your nose can cause swollen eyes.

During an allergic reaction, certain cells in the body release a chemical called histamine which can sometimes lead to inflammation of the eye area.

Washing your face to wash away the allergens sticking to your skin and eyelashes. Some allergy eye drops can make your eyes to soothe itchy, swollen eyes caused by allergies. However, you can confirm with your doctor for what’s safe to use and how long to use.

In case of windy days - especially in fall and spring, when trees and plants release more pollen and symptoms, the high amount of allergens in the air do harm to your eyes; therefore, stay inside and save outdoor activities for just after a rain.

4. Crying

I’m sure that all of you know crying makes your eyes puffy. However, if you think all tears are created equal, you’re wrong. The tears that you cry are less salty than normal tears. So, water flows go back into saltier, fluid congregates in the eyelids and around the eye area, causing swollen eyes.

Applying a cold compress to your eyes for a few minutes can be helpful with itching and swelling. Sit up in bed or in a comfortable chair and relax with a clean wet washcloth skin under and around your eyes. Or you can replace with some slices of cucumber.

5. Poor Diet

Consuming too much salt in your diet can cause your eyes to puff because high levels of sodium contribute to water-retention and bloating.

You should avoid food that contains a lot of salts such as cured meats, cheese, pickles, and other processed foods. Doctors recommend that consuming 1,500 mg sodium a day is enough. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day can also help to keep your fluid levels up and clear up your eye area.

6. Thyroid problems

Besides environmental factors, puffy eyes can result from a symptom of an overactive thyroid. Hypothyroidism causes myxedema which makes changes to the connective tissues, that can cause loss of tone in the under eye area. You should consult with your doctor to make sure your thyroid is well-functioned.

7. Aging

Your eye area resembles like a tiny pillow though you eat a balanced diet, sleep well and avoid alcohol. What’s going on?

Maybe you’re aging. When you get older, the tissue and muscles that ordinarily protects the eye inside the bony eye socket get weak. Over time, the fat deposits that support the eyes start to reduce, causing to a puffing effect.

Aging is a natural phenomenon, there is no way to avoid it, but you can slow down the aging process. Healthy lifestyle changes undoubtedly keep you feeling energetic and young. You should adopt the plant-based diet, say no to smoking, perform moderate exercise, and do stress-reducing activities such as yoga and meditation. Some preventative treatments as eye creams can helpfully keep eye skin firmer for longer and remove undereye bags.