Many people have developed bags under their eyes, and there are many reasons why these bags form. In most cases the problem is caused by aging and sleep disorders, although heredity, hormonal changes, sinus infections, and high salt intake, water retention, depression, fatigue, smoking, alcohol abuse, and poor diet can all be contributors. It has also been recognized that obese individuals often suffer from this affliction. If you are experiencing this affliction, which many consider to be a cosmetic nightmare, don’t despair. There are treatments and behavioral changes that have proven to be effective in minimizing or eliminating this problem.
What Causes Bags under the Eyes?
Although bags under the eyes may, in some rare cases, indicate an underlying medical condition such as kidney disease or Graves’s disease which require professional medical attention, for most sufferers it is a cosmetic problem. While it may offer no threat to one’s physical condition, it is certainly can cause social and psychological problems. Bags under the eyes make persons look older, tired, and generally worn out. Unfortunately, many people without the problem see sufferers as those who have led a life of debauchery – a most prejudiced and unfair assessment.
Although many younger people are afflicted with bags under their eyes, the problem is most commonly found in older people. Aging causes the body’s muscles and ligaments to weaken. The fat, which is normally evenly distributed around the eyes, succumbs to the force of gravity and falls into the area under the eyes, gathering into a puffy eye bag. Environmental and behavioral conditions may exacerbate the problem. Heredity can also be a cause for bags under the eyes. Those pesky genes maintain this trait from generation to generation.
Women often experience this problem during pregnancy or during their normal period of menstruation. In both cases, normal water retention can cause these bags. This tendency to retain water is exacerbated by a high intake of salt. Paradoxically, the exact opposite of water retention can also cause these bags. Dehydration for any reason, particularly from excessive consumption of alcohol, can be a major contributor to the problem. Lack of sleep is another reason why some develop Bags Under the Eyes. Insufficient sleep can also contribute to the development of dark circles under the eyes.
Those who suffer from common allergies and chronic sinus infections are often afflicted with bags under the eyes. These ailments can cause swelling and a deflation of the skin below the eyes, weakening it to a point where it can form these bothersome bags. If this describes your particular situation, check with a physician or allergist. One of the dangers of allergies is the itching that normally accompanies these conditions. Rubbing the eyes to alleviate itching will undoubtedly exacerbate the development of eye bags.
How Do You Treat Bags Under the Eyes?
The good news for most people who suffer from bags under the eyes, is that the condition is treatable, often with simple home remedies and behavioral changes. Nonetheless, to make sure that there is no underlying medical problem, check with your physician before you undertake any self-help program. Severe and persistent swelling, redness in the eyes, chronic itching, or inflammation anywhere on the body is a clear indication that you should seek immediate medical help. Having said that, however, for the majority of people who are afflicted with bags under the eyes, one or more of the following home treatments may be sufficient to resolve the problem. Experiment with them until you find the treatments that are most effective for you.
The Importance of Sleep
Most people don’t get enough sleep. Work, play, caring for children, studying, all steal our time, and our sleeping habits suffer from it. Many of us work and play in front of a television or computer screen, or reading volumes of material at work or in study. This eye strain and its associated lack of sleep can aid the formation of bags and dark circles under the eyes. It is, in fact, the prime cause of this affliction in most people. When you sleep, your body releases an antioxidant called melatonin. This is one of the important antioxidants that destroy the free radicals that travel about the body causing all kinds of damaging mischief. Sleep lets this melatonin heal the day’s damages, including the underlying causes of eye bags.
The Magic of Applied Vegetables
Fighting eye bags using raw potatoes, cucumbers, and used tea bags would sound absolutely ridiculous if it had not proven to be so effective. Placing slices of raw chilled cucumbers over the eyes for about ten minutes twice a day can work wonders. The moisture and cooling effect of the cucumbers will lighten the dark areas under the eyes.
Potatoes offer a similar benefit. Cut some thin potato slices. Sprinkle some water over your closed eyes and place a potato slice over each eye for about ten minutes. A chemical in the potatoes, catecholase, will also lighten the dark areas under the eyes.
Tea is another helpful application for tightening the skin and reducing puffiness, especially chamomile tea. Brew up a cup of chamomile tea and let it cool to room temperature. Soak two cotton balls in the tea and place them on your closed eyes for about 15 minutes. Other teas, like black or green tea, will work to the same end, but not as effectively as the anti-inflammatory characteristics of chamomile. If you don’t happen to have tea handy, cold milk is a reasonable substitute.
Vitamin E oil is another great remedy for those pesky eye bags. Rub a small amount of the oil directly onto the baggy or darkened area. If you don’t have any oil, simply cut off the end of a vitamin E capsule and squeeze out the oil onto the baggy area.
Finally, make sure that you eat right. Try to follow a diet that is low in carbohydrates. This will help to reduce the tendency of the body to retain water, which puff up those eye bags. Eat foods that are rich in vitamins A, C, and E and reduce your salt intake. During the day, whenever you have the opportunity, splash a little cold water on the bags under your eyes to cool them. When you sleep, elevate your head on an extra pillow if necessary. This can cause a redistribution of the fluid that is maintaining the swelling.
Be aware that the problem of bags under the eyes is so common that clever entrepreneurs have filled the marketplace with products that claim to eliminate the problem. Most are no better than the home remedies described above, and they cost a lot more. Try the proven home remedies before you experiment with the more expensive and unproven balms.
Category: General Health Information
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