What Causes Puffy Eyes

Puffy eyes refer to the swelling of the tissue around your eyes. One of the main causes of puffy eyes is fluid buildup around the eyes or periorbital edema. For some individuals puffiness may be normal, but factors such as age and sleep-deprivation may increase the swelling. As the skin around the eyes is very sensitive, any minor cause can induce puffiness to it. The swelling is usually more prominent in the morning, right after waking up, but resolves on its own in a few hours, as gravity tends to drain the fluid that has accumulated during the night. This problem affects both genders, but women seem to be more concerned and consider it one of the most annoying beauty problem. Eye puffiness is a temporary cosmetic problem, which can be easily treated and prevented. Read the article to find out what causes puffy eyelids.

Puffy Eyes Causes

The uneven distribution of fluid in the area around the head is one of the main causes of puffy eyes. Sleeping flat or on your front can reduce circulation, thereby causing puffy eyes. To avoid puffy eyes, sleep on your back and keep your head elevated in a higher than normal position, to allow better circulation.
Sleep deprivation or oversleeping is another cause which leads to puffy eyes. Less or more than the required hours of sleep may lead to swelling of the tissue around the eyes, thereby giving the eyes a puffed look.
Sodium salt in the tears causes the body to retain water, keeping your skin excessively hydrated and therefore puffy looking.
Alcohol and tobacco contain various toxins which induce fatigue, stress and hormonal changes. All these condition lead to water retention, which in turn causes puffy eyes. Alcohol consumption reduces the anti-diuretic hormones (ADH) in the body. The level eventually normalizes by itself and the puffiness subsides.
Dehydration is also a cause of puffy eyes. When the body lacks water, it starts storing body fluids, which results in puffy eyes.
Age is yet another major factor that causes the puffed look. With age, the skin slowly looses its elasticity, which causes the skin around the eyes to swell or droop.
Hormonal imbalance can be blamed for puffiness in the eyes. If the body suffers from hormonal imbalance, it tends to storing more water near and around the eyes. In case of women, puffy eyes can be a result of hormonal change during pregnancy and menstruation. Some women tend to retain fluids before menstrual cycle, which may appear around eyes. These conditions lead to a swelling, which is more prominent and long lasting.
Too much content of potassium and sodium salt in your diet cause fluid retention and hence puffy eyes.
In some cases, an allergic reaction can also trigger puffiness in the eyes. When the puffiness in the eye is accompanied by swelling, itching and redness, then you may be dealing with allergies. Allergic reaction can be the result of feather pillow, linen fabric, face creams, dust, pollen or food.
Certain health conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney infection, thyroid disorder, orbital cellulites, blepharitis and dermatitis also contribute to the problem of puffy eyes.
Application of cosmetics around the eyes for a prolonged period can cause irritation in the tissue in this area and may lead to swelling. If the eye product is a few months old, chances are that there might be bacterial growth in the product, which may enter the eyelids and cause swelling.

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