Bags under eyes

Alternative Names

Bags under eyes

What is Bags under eyes

Bags under eyes is a condition characterizing by a mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes. It considered being normal when you age. With aging, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the muscles supporting your eyelids, weaken. Normal fat that helps support the eyes can then migrate forward into the lower eyelids, causing the lids to appear puffy. Fluid also may accumulate in the space below your eyes, adding to a swollen appearance.

Signs and symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of bags under eyes are:

• Mild swelling
• Saggy or loose skin
• Dark circles

Possible complications

Fortunately, this condition does not cause any complications.

What causes

There are some causes of this condition:

• Bad heredity (anatomical face features)
• The lack of sleep, overfatigue
• The lack of iron (Fe)
• Long hours spent at the computer
• Excessive pigmentation and long hours spent in the sun
• Some kind of chronic systemic disease, attended by fluid retention (allergic reactions, anemia, heart disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease, liver diseases)
• Malnutrition (eating foods with excessive salt content, eating spicy and fatty foods, dehydration)
• Using of the inappropriate cosmetic products
• Smoking

Prevention

In order to prevent bags under eyes, you should follow such steps as:

• Get enough sleep. If you have puffy eyes all day, it could be that you are simply not getting enough sleep or the quality of the sleep you are getting is poor. Puffiness under the eyes is a common symptom of sleep deprivation.
• Drink more water! Most people who find that they are prone to puffy eyes are usually dehydrated. Try this over a long term period and see the results. It is very effective.
• Elevate your head when you sleep. It is not unusual to have puffy eyes upon waking. A possible explanation for this may be that when you are laying down for several hours in a horizontal position and then stand up, the fluid that was resting under your eyes is suddenly being pulled down by gravity. This swelling, however, should subside shortly. To reduce it, you can try elevating your head while sleeping so that the fluid is not as drastically drawn down when you get up.
• Reduce your salt intake. A high intake of sodium may be causing you to retain more fluid, in which case reducing the salt in your diet may produce good results (not only for your eyes, but also for your health in general).
• Snack on bananas and raisins, both of which alleviate fluid retention.
• Consume cabbage or cranberry juice. Both are diuretics, which will help you "evacuate" some excess fluid. Do not turn to caffeine as your diuretic of choice, as it can interfere with sleep and bring back the puffiness.
• Exercise to improve circulation, which will help your body move fluid through your body, rather than letting it accumulate.
• Identify allergies that are causing your puffy eyes. For allergies and puffy eyes, find out the item causing the allergic reaction and minimize its use; doctors may also provide medication in the form of shots or prescription drugs

Treatment

As a rule, bags under eyes are usually a cosmetic concern that does not require any specific treatment. Depending on the cause of the swelling, home and lifestyle treatments, such as applying cold compresses or sleeping with your head raised, can help reduce or eliminate puffy eyes.

Medical and surgical treatments are available if you're concerned about the appearance of under-eye swelling. Treatment may not be covered by medical insurance if it's done solely to improve your appearance.

Skin treatments

Skin treatments traditionally done to treat wrinkles such as laser resurfacing or chemical peels, may improve skin tone and tighten the skin. This may lessen the appearance of under-eye swelling and improve any discoloration.

Eyelid surgery

Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) is an option to remove bags under eyes. During blepharoplasty, the surgeon cuts just below the lashes in your eye's natural crease or inside the lower lid. The surgeon removes excess fat and sagging skin. Depending on where the initial incisions are made, stitches may follow the lower lid's natural crease or be placed inside the lower eyelid.

In addition to correcting bags under eyes, blepharoplasty can also repair:

• Baggy or puffy upper eyelids
• Excess skin of the upper eyelid that interferes with your vision
• Droopy lower eyelids, which may cause white to show below the iris — the colored part of the eye
• Excess skin on lower eyelids