Swelling under the eyes - causes and treatment methods

The accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues of the body becomes the cause of the appearance of edema under the eyes. There are not many people who have never in their life encountered this unpleasant and unaesthetic problem. Very often, this phenomenon is observed in the morning after a sleepless night, or after stress and nervous shocks, which were accompanied by a strong cry.

To find out what causes the appearance of puffiness of the eyes - an innocuous, physiological or pathological process (when edema is a sign of a disease), a thorough analysis of this condition should be carried out.

Causes of eye swelling

By the term “eye swelling” is meant a process in which excess interstitial fluid accumulates in the eyelid. A larger volume of fluid is localized in the cells of the body, the rest - in the intercellular space. In violation of the water-electrolyte balance, which mainly occurs as a result of some pathologies, edema occurs. The fact that they are very noticeable precisely for centuries is explained by the physiological features of this site, which are as follows:

• the skin on the eyelids is very thin;
• there are no sebaceous glands on it;
• there are many vessels;
• muscle activity is rather weak.

You should know that swelling under the eyes and bags are different concepts. The latter are formed as a result of the fact that the skin becomes less elastic and elastic (usually these are age-related changes) and is not able to retain fatty tissue located in this area.

Swelling is an excess of interstitial fluid that is retained as a result of interruptions in metabolic processes.

There can be many provoking factors:

1. Inflammation. The main manifestations of this process are redness of the skin, a local feeling of heat, the appearance of discomfort or soreness when touching the area of ​​inflammation. The causes of the inflammatory process are usually some diseases: barley, furunculosis, halazion. A common catarrhal disease or a runny nose can also lead to this. In most cases, the lesion affects the upper eyelid.
2. Allergy. Swelling may be an allergic reaction to some external factor. Usually one eyelid swells, swelling develops rapidly and passes just as quickly. Any substance can act as an allergen - a drug, cosmetic, food, flowers and plants. In addition, local reactions may occur if the allergen enters the mucosa. As a result, she blushes, itching, burning, feeling of "sand" in the eyes.
3. Internal illnesses. Swelling of the eyelids is one of the manifestations of diseases such as pathology of the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, heart and blood vessel diseases, kidneys, problems with venous outflow. Such swelling specifically develops and proceeds. The processes localized in most cases in the lower eyelid, more pronounced in the morning, indicate kidney disease. Edema, which appears in the evenings, signals about diseases of the heart and blood vessels. In the presence of internal diseases, edema is usually symmetrical, that is, occur immediately under two eyes. To establish the exact cause, you need to visit a doctor who will prescribe the necessary diagnostic procedures.
4. Hormonal disorder and pregnancy. The increased production of estrogen, which occurs before the onset of menstruation, causes fluid retention in the tissues, which is why edema forms under the eyes.In addition, puffiness can occur due to changes in hormone levels that occur during puberty, menopause, and drug therapy with hormone-containing drugs. Some women notice swelling that has occurred while bearing a child, especially in recent months. If swelling occurs during the entire pregnancy due to excessive weight gain, you should consult a specialist. In this situation, the formation of edema can be a signal of any disease. Most often it is a kidney disease or dropsy.
5. Mechanical damage. This item includes various traumatic injuries (burns, bruises, insect bites), accompanied by swelling of the tissues and the appearance of hematomas. Edema can occur not only with trauma to the eyelids, but also in the head sections located above. This is due to the fact that with such injuries, blood vessels are damaged, as a result of which the blood falls under the influence of pressure into the lower parts - into the eyelid zone. A characteristic feature of such edema is the fact that they quickly pass on their own, even if they are not treated.
6. Disturbed outflow of venous blood and lymph. Some surgical procedures on the head, especially on the face, can lead to this phenomenon. For example, cosmetic procedures for rejuvenating the skin near the eyes can cause stagnation of blood and lymph, and this will lead to the accumulation of fluid and the appearance of swelling of the eyelids.
7. Heredity. If the skin around the eyes began to swell even in childhood or youth, while there are no health problems and there are no provoking factors, then this is most likely a genetic factor. Especially if someone from close relatives also has the same problem.
8. General fatigue and increased eye strain. Both of these factors often cause swelling of the eyelids. This problem is familiar to many people who, due to the characteristics of the profession, have to spend a lot of time behind a computer monitor, driving a car (especially at night and when weather conditions are not favorable), as well as those who read a lot in artificial light and watch TV shows . All this leads to the fact that the eye muscles are always tense, which is why the eyelid region is worse supplied with blood. Such a violation causes the penetration of fluid into the interstitial space, as a result of which edema is formed. He does not allow to normalize blood circulation, a vicious circle is obtained. Chronic fatigue leads to the fact that the daily routine is violated: at night you can’t fall asleep, and in the morning get out of bed. Lack of rest affects the appearance, including the appearance of edema under the eyes.
9. Age-related changes. The skin of the eyelids is very thin and sensitive. And over the years, it becomes even more subtle and weakened. Due to its fragility, bone tissue is not able to provide support to tissues in the same way as in youth. Because of this, they begin to go beyond the usual boundaries. In addition, the older the person, the worse their internal organs, including the kidneys, function, all processes become slower. The removal of fluid accumulated in the tissues does not occur as fast as before. All this becomes the reason that in older people, swelling of the eyelids is a constant phenomenon.
10. Excess salt. Everyone knows that salt is able to retain fluid in the body. Especially when it penetrates into it in the evening hours, before a person goes to bed. If you regularly eat excessively salty foods, preservation, there will be a constant accumulation of fluid in the adipose tissue of the lower and upper eyelids.In addition, after consuming such products, you are thirsty all the time, because of this an even greater amount of water enters the body, which is retained in the body, again due to salt. So, everything goes in a circle: salted dishes - water - fluid retention - swelling.

What else can cause swelling of the eyelids?

In addition to physiological factors and diseases, the occurrence of edema can occur due to individual characteristics. First of all, this is due to the lifestyle, the use of certain products, addiction to cigarettes and alcohol.

So, the following can lead to the appearance of edema:

1. A sleepless night. Those who like to have fun until the morning risk seeing, when they wake up, swelling under their eyes. This is due to a number of reasons: abuse of alcohol or energy drinks, artificial light, short sleep, as a result of which a person does not feel rested.
2. Tears, especially at night.
3. Use of cosmetics. You should not forget that decorative cosmetics that are applied in the morning should be washed off at night, it is advisable to do this at least a couple of hours before going to bed, otherwise the skin will not rest.

Treatment methods for edema under the eyes

You can independently get rid of puffiness of the eyelids and the entire face if you regularly carry out such procedures regularly:

1. Contrast wash. Having noticed puffiness on the face in the morning, you should immediately wash it first with warm, then cool water. Thanks to this procedure, blood circulation will improve, the skin will be filled with energy, swelling and stagnation in the tissues will disappear.
2. Gentle massaging of the face and the area under the eyes: with gentle tapping movements, massage the eyelids, as well as patting the rest of the face.
3. Massage with ice cubes. Compresses made according to the recipes of traditional medicine are good for swelling of the eyes. However, when there is no time to prepare the product, you can use ice cubes, which need to massage the eyelids.

At the moment, there are many tools that help locally eliminate puffiness of the eyelids and circles under the eyes. But they can be used only after it has been accurately confirmed that not any pathology became the cause of the phenomenon. Otherwise, the desired result from the use of cosmetic procedures and folk recipes will not be, because the provoking factor will not go anywhere, and swelling will again form under the eyes.

Folk remedies for edema under the eyes

The recipes of traditional medicine help well from swelling of the eyes, especially when they do not constitute a symptom of a disease. Below are the most effective ones.

1. Tea compresses. Both black and green varieties are suitable. The composition of tea contains caffeine and tannin - these components contribute to the narrowing of blood vessels, reduce swelling, as they have an astringent effect, eliminate swelling of the skin. Speaking of remedies for eye swelling, one cannot but mention chamomile tea. The product effectively fights inflammation, has a calming effect, relieves irritation, redness and swelling. You can remove puffiness if you apply cotton pads to the eyelids, after moistening them in freshly brewed tea.
2. Mask for the eyes. To prepare this cosmetic product, it is necessary to grind parsley (1 tsp) and add fresh sour cream (2 tsp), mix well. Composition on the problem area for 30 minutes. Then remove the residue with plenty of water. The next step is to apply the usual care product. There is another recipe for edema mask, which is prepared from lemon balm. It is necessary to take about two large spoons of the crushed plant, squeeze the juice. Soak two pieces of crumb from bread with the resulting liquid and put on your eyelids, leave for a third of an hour. Remainder with cold water.
3. Parsley compress. The plant must be finely chopped, squeeze the juice. Take two gauze napkins, moisten them in parsley juice, put on the swollen area, leave for 15 minutes.

As a prophylaxis against the appearance of edema, it is necessary to ensure proper nutrition with a minimum amount of salt and a large volume of water.

The formation of puffiness in the morning is greatly influenced by the position in which the person sleeps. The best option would be to sleep on your back, the head should be located slightly above the body. So the liquid will not accumulate under the eyes.

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