Swelling under the eyes: causes of an unpleasant symptom in the lower eyelid in women and men

Puffiness under the eyes is caused by the accumulation of a large amount of fluid in this area , which is not distributed evenly, but is localized under the skin. There can be reasons for - from harmless to serious and pathological.

Therefore, if swelling of the lower eyelid does not go away within a few days and cannot be eliminated using the simplest folk methods, it is recommended to consult a specialist.

Features of swelling under the eyes

Swelling under the eyes is always clearly visible to the naked eye, even to a non-specialist, especially since such a disorder is seen by the person himself in the mirror.

Note! Sometimes the swelling may not be as noticeable, and it can be difficult to determine whether it is actually swelling or slight skin deformities that occur after sleep.

Pathological swelling that requires action is always characterized by the following symptoms :

change in skin color under the eyes;
slight or strong feeling of skin tension in the area of edema;
the tissues in the area of edema become slightly denser.

In some cases, such formations may be accompanied by painful sensations.

But this does not happen due to the development of subcutaneous pathological processes, but due to strong tension of the skin and the creation of pressure under it due to the accumulation of fluid.

How to remove swelling of the eyelids?

To restore a healthy appearance to your eyelids, you can use the following techniques:

Compresses with chilled green or chamomile tea bags or ice cubes. The ice can be ordinary, or for a more effective effect you can use frozen infusions of herbs: sage, lavender, chamomile, mint, St. John's wort. Place a bag or cube in gauze and apply to problem areas for 10–15 minutes.
Or add chilled teaspoons. Just keep them in a glass of ice water or the refrigerator and you can apply them. This method is good because it does not require much effort and is suitable for home and office.
A light massage in the upper eyelid area using cream and oils will also help.
To remove dark circles, use the following:
Apply chilled cucumber slices and the swelling will subside in 15–20 minutes.
You can also make a gauze compress on the problem area with finely chopped parsley.
A mask made from mashed potatoes or their juice (on cotton pads) will also be useful here.
Massage using oils and creams is quite an effective remedy for the lower eyelid.

In addition, there are products specifically designed to remove puffiness and dark circles under the eyes. For example, a series of CONTOUR products, cream-Veil, HydroMAX serum from.

The difference between swelling and bags under the eyes

Some people do not attach importance to the difference between edema and bags, and in everyday understanding, both of these names apply to the same phenomenon.

In fact, edema usually means a pathological accumulation of fluid in the infraorbital or supraorbital area .

It is worth noting! Bags are an exclusively dermatological problem, since they are formed folds of skin.

Almost always, the reason for the formation of bags lies not in pathologies, but in the loss of elasticity of the skin with age, as a result of which fatty tissue is not retained in it and the skin structures lose their shape.

Causes

There are dozens of pathological and non-pathological reasons for the development of puffiness under the eyes. As a rule, in these cases the symptom occurs simultaneously under the left and right eye.

Harmless reasons

Relatively harmless non-pathological causes include:

sleep disorders (irregular sleep, insomnia, sleeping at different times);
problems with excess weight (in this case, a violation of the water-salt balance develops, and some of the fluid accumulates under the eyes);
exposure to regular long-term stress ;
excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
unhealthy diet (abuse of fatty and salty foods in particular);
constant exposure of the skin to sunlight and wind , frequent changes in ambient temperature;
excessive physical activity or, on the contrary, a sedentary lifestyle . In both cases, the balance of fluid in the body is also disturbed and its uneven distribution occurs.

With such problems, eliminating the root cause yourself is usually not difficult, and swelling can be eliminated at home using cosmetics or traditional medicine.

Diseases

Remember! It is worse if the cause of such a violation is pathological conditions and lesions, for which the intervention of specialists cannot be avoided.

Such reasons include:

Problems with venous or lymphatic drainage . In such situations, the outflow pathways of venous blood or lymph are blocked, as a result of which such fluids stagnate in different parts of the body. But such places of congestion under the eyes are especially noticeable, since the skin here is quite thin. Such disorders can occur both in various ophthalmological inflammatory diseases and as a result of unsuccessful cosmetic procedures.
Pathologies of internal organs . Disturbances in circulatory processes are characteristic of diseases of the thyroid gland, kidneys and cardiovascular system.
Ophthalmological diseases accompanied by inflammatory processes. Most often, barley, conjunctivitis, chalazion and furunculosis. In these cases, swelling does not occur due to fluid accumulation, but due to structural changes in the affected tissues.
Diseases of the paranasal sinuses (any type of sinusitis). Swelling in this case is explained by the close location of the pathological areas to the organs of vision. And the swelling itself does not develop in the under-eye area, but spreads from the maxillary sinuses, where it initially appears.

Important! Often the cause of the development of swelling is allergic reactions, with additional symptoms being irritation, redness of the conjunctiva, itching, sneezing, and lacrimation.

Heredity should not be ruled out: some people have a genetic predisposition to puffiness under the eyes.

And this is often observed in newborns, in whom such a disorder can persist in the first few months of life and then disappear.

General recommendations for troubleshooting

The first and main recommendation is to start leading a healthy lifestyle:

Regular sleep of 8–10 hours.
Balanced diet with reduced amount of salts. Reduce consumption of carbonated drinks, coffee, fatty, smoked and fried foods.
Introduce natural diuretic foods into your diet: citrus fruits, carrots, watermelons, apples, melons, etc.
Quit smoking and alcohol abuse.
Drink diuretic teas, fruit drinks and infusions from: lingonberries and their leaves, cranberries, blackberries, viburnum, rowan.
If swelling appears after sleep, change the pillow to a higher and more elastic one.

And, of course, just in case, you should consult a doctor about the causes of this problem. Because in this case, self-medication can only be done when you know that the disorder is not caused by a serious illness.

For example, swelling of the cheeks often appears as a result of injury, diseases of the teeth and oral cavity, allergies, inflammation of the lymph nodes and other diseases.

Only special medications should be used against allergies; other methods will not help. And swelling associated with inflammation of the facial nerve should not be treated with various cold compresses, as they will only worsen the situation. Therefore, if your cheeks for no apparent reason begin to look somehow wrong, you should contact the clinic.

You can reduce the likelihood of swelling after sleep with the help of diuretics:

Natural. We have partially listed foods and drinks with this effect above.
Medical. These include Torasemide, Amiloride and others. You can also try to relieve swelling with Leoton gel, which is primarily used for the legs. Since the gel is not intended for the face, it must be used with great caution, avoiding contact with the eyes.

The use of medications and diuretics should be agreed with doctors. Here are a few more recipes to improve fluid circulation in tissues:

Diuretic based on blackberries. You need 80 grams of blackberry leaves, and 10 grams of coltsfoot leaves and birch leaves. The ingredients are mixed and poured with boiling water (1:2). Then keep in a water bath for 15 minutes. The resulting infusion is filtered. The decoction should be drunk in the morning and afternoon, one glass at a time. Usually the course takes up to one and a half to two weeks.
An infusion of bear's ear herb has an antiseptic effect on the urinary system, so it will be especially useful for kidney diseases. Here you need 1 tbsp. collection spoon. It is poured with a glass of hot water and left in a thermos for 2 hours. The resulting infusion is filtered. You need to take the product 2 times a day, half a glass.
Flax-seed. It helps remove excess fluid well. For the effect, you need to eat 1 teaspoon of ground seeds daily. They can also be added to porridges and other dishes, since they do not have a pronounced or unpleasant taste and smell. Duration of treatment – 1 month.

Features of symptoms in women

In women, swelling under the eyes occurs more often than in men. Firstly, women's skin is thinner and more delicate, and secondly, there are a number of specific “female” reasons :

Obviously, women cry more often , but swelling does not always occur. However, tears can absorb moisture that comes out with them. At the same time, tears contain substances that irritate the skin. The combination of these factors causes swelling.
used by women often cause ophthalmological diseases and the development of allergic reactions , even if such products are of good quality. Sometimes the development of edema is promoted not by the components themselves that make up cosmetics, but by neglect of hygiene rules. This is the use of other people's accessories and cosmetics, removing makeup with products not intended for this purpose, excessive mechanical impact on the skin in the process of removing shadows and mascara. But the main problem remains allergic reactions. Therefore, before purchasing cosmetics, you need to familiarize yourself with the composition. And if you are sure that you are allergic to specific components present in a certain product, you should refuse to purchase it.
Puffiness may occur under the eyes during the menstrual cycle. Since during this period hormonal changes occur, as a result of which the outflow of fluid may be disrupted.

Swelling can only during pregnancy , especially in the first trimester.

During this period, the concentration of the hormone estrogen increases in the female body, which in large quantities can retain fluid in the body.

This explains swelling in pregnant women not only in the eye area, but also swelling of the limbs.

Kinds

Swelling of the upper eyelid can be of three types: inflammatory, non-inflammatory and allergic .

Inflammatory

Inflammation during edema occurs with any bacterial pathology , accompanied by the accumulation and release of pus.

For your information! Inflammatory processes are caused by the accumulation of such secretions in the glands of the organs of vision. If such symptoms are ignored, serious complications may develop.

Non-inflammatory

Non-inflammatory edema is characterized by less pronounced symptoms , which are most pronounced in the morning.

Most often, this type of swelling is bilateral and affects both organs of vision. The cause of the development of pathology is diseases of the internal organs (in particular the kidneys) or the accumulation of fluid in the periocular area.

Allergic

Allergic swelling occurs due to contact of the mucous membranes of the eye or skin above the eye with allergens of various origins.

If there is direct contact of the allergen with the organ of vision, the development of swelling occurs in the next few minutes.

If the allergen enters the body with food, liquid or medications, such a disorder appears only after a few hours.

This type of pathology is the most severe and is accompanied by a deterioration in the general condition and the occurrence of headaches, while swelling can spread to the entire face.

Diagnostics

It is worth noting! If you are sure that such processes occur due to possible diseases of the eyes or internal organs, you need to contact a therapist who will prescribe a number of diagnostic procedures, including:

Blood pressure measurement.
Donating blood to perform a general analysis , which can show the presence of inflammatory processes in the body.
Analysis of urine . It also allows you to diagnose inflammation, provided that an increased number of leukocytes is detected in the material for analysis.
Radiography . It is not always prescribed, but only if there is suspicion of compression of blood vessels by neoplasms of various origins in the eye area, which leads to swelling.
Ultrasound of the kidneys.
Additional blood tests to determine the level of thyroid hormones. Additionally, an ultrasound of the thyroid gland may be performed. In these cases, it is possible to identify changes in this organ that lead to hormonal imbalance.
Echocardiography and electrocardiography . The methods allow us to identify disorders of the cardiovascular system.

Attention! If necessary, examinations by other specialists can be prescribed, and based on the diagnostic results, a diagnosis will be made with subsequent treatment.

How to remove facial swelling?

If the disorder is not caused by serious diseases, it is reduced using the following means:

Massage. Gently, without stretching, you need to pat, pinch and smooth the skin from the center to the edges. It is better to massage using cream. To which sometimes a drop of chamomile, lavender or mint oil is added, or you can use the “Citron” phytobiocomplex from.
Treat your skin with a piece of ordinary ice. You can also freeze green tea, appropriate herbal infusions or AQUAton tonic. A cold compress will have a fairly close effect. Both methods are very effective and can easily cope with even severe swelling. But this method has a wide range of contraindications - rosacea, sinusitis, sinusitis, inflammation of the facial nerve or recovery from it, etc.
Instead of ice and a cold compress, ready-made gel masks . They are stored in the refrigerator. And if necessary, apply to the problem area for 3-5 minutes. The restrictions are similar to the previous methods.
A mask made from fresh chilled cucumber is useful for removing swelling from the skin . To do this, you need to wash it thoroughly, cut it into slices and put them on. The mask exposure time is 10–15 minutes. She has no contraindications.
A mask made from finely grated potatoes is very effective . Its duration is 15 minutes. After which the mask is removed from the skin and washed with cool water. To consolidate the result, massage is useful.
Green tea lotion will help with swelling due to overwork and lack of sleep . A tablespoon of tea is poured with 90-degree boiling water and infused for 10 minutes. After that, moisten a napkin with the resulting infusion and cover your face with it. The procedure lasts up to a quarter of an hour. When finished, wash your face with cool water.