How To Get Rid Of Puffy Eyes In South Africa
What are Puffy Eyes?
Bags under eyes are mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes. They’re common as you age and the tissues around your eyes weaken, including some of the muscles supporting your eyelids. Fat that helps support the eyes can then move into the lower eyelids, causing them to appear puffy. Fluid may also accumulate below your eyes.
Bags under eyes are usually a cosmetic concern and rarely a sign of a serious condition. At-home remedies, such as cool compresses, can help improve their appearance. For persistent or bothersome under-eye puffiness, eyelid surgery may be an option.
What causes puffy eyes
One of the main causes of puffy eyes is aging. The skin under your eyes is very thin, which augments any changes that may occur in your body as you age.
Over time, the tissue in your eyelids can weaken. This can cause fat in your upper eyelid to fall, coming to rest in your lower eyelid.
Fluid may also be more likely to get trapped in your lower eyelid as you age. Fluid retention is known as edema. The thin skin around your eyelid can cause fluid retention to be very prominent, resulting in puffy eyes.
You may notice that your eyes appear puffier when you get up in the morning. This could be the result of edema. Once you awaken and begin blinking, you may notice that your eyes start to look less puffy.
In addition to aging, there are other reasons you may have puffy eyes, such as:
- genetics
- fluid retention
- allergies
- too much sun
- not enough sleep
- unhealthy diet
- crying
- other health conditions
How To Get Rid Of Puffy Eyes In South Africa
There are many ways to help reduce puffiness around your eyes. Some remedies are simple, like drinking more water. Others are more involved, like getting cosmetic surgery. Here are some tips and tricks to try to get rid of puffy eyes.
1. Get enough sleep
Logging a good night’s sleep regularly will help you reduce puffy eyes. Adults need around 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. To ensure you’re sleeping enough, create a bedtime routine and stick to it.
It’s important to remember that your bedtime routine starts long before you lie down to sleep. To get a good night’s rest, the Mayo Clinic suggests that you should:
- Stick to a sleep schedule.
- Stop drinking caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime.
- Stop drinking alcohol close to bedtime.
- Finish eating dinner about 3 hours before bedtime.
- Finish exercising several hours before bedtime.
- Turn off electronics 1 to 2 hours before bedtime.
2. Prop yourself up
Sleep with a few pillows under your head to avoid fluid settling around your eyes. If you’re unable to sleep at an angle on a wedge pillow or a stack of pillows, try raising the head of your bed a bit for the same effect.
To do this, put a stack of books or another wedge under the feet of your bed on the side where you rest your head. If you notice a difference in how often or severe your eyes puff up, consider a more stable solution, like bed risers.
3. Address your allergies
Talk with your doctor if you have year-round or seasonal allergies. Allergies can cause your eyes to redden, swell, and puff up. This may prompt you to rub your eyes more, resulting in further puffiness.
Your doctor can help create a treatment plan to alleviate your symptoms. This may include eye drops and over-the-counter or prescription medications.
4. Drink enough water
Eye puffiness can be the result of dehydration. Make sure you drink plenty of water every day to keep your skin healthy. The general rule of thumb is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily.
To stay on track, consider setting an hourly reminder on your phone. You can also use a refillable water bottle marked with specific times to help you drink enough water throughout the day.
5. Avoid alcohol
Try to limit or avoid alcohol and other drinks that can make you dehydrated. Dehydration can result in puffy eyes, so it may be best to have a glass of water instead.
If you’re tired of plain water, infusing it with fresh fruit is a great way to stay hydrated and refreshed. Try adding your fruit of choice to a water bottle for infused water that lasts all day long.
6. Pass on the salt
Eating too much salt can cause additional fluid retention in your body. It can also lead to other health issues, such as a greater risk of heart problems and stroke.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the current daily value for sodium is 2,300 milligrams (mg). However, the American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium to 1,500 mg per day.
More than 70 percent of sodium found in American diets comes from processed or restaurant foods. To reduce your salt intake, steer clear of cured meats, cheese, breads, and other processed foods.
Prepackaged foods like instant soups are often high in sodium. Reading labels can help you identify excessive amounts of salt.
Instead, eat more whole foods like fresh vegetables and fruits.
7. Eat more potassium
Potassium can help reduce excess fluids in your body, so you may want to ramp up your potassium intake. You can do this by adding bananas, beans, yogurt, and leafy greens to your diet.
If you’re already eating a potassium-rich diet, talk to your doctor about whether your potassium level is fine as-is or if you can safely add a potassium supplement to your daily routine.
8. Use a cool compress
You can reduce eye puffiness by resting a cool washcloth on your eyelids for about 10 minutes. This can help drain excess fluid from under your eyes.
A compress of green or black tea bags may also do the trick. The tea contains antioxidants and caffeine that can reduce inflammation and constrict blood vessels.
9. Try an eye cream
There are many eye creams on the market that may relieve puffiness. Some ingredients to look for in an eye cream include chamomile, cucumber, and arnica. These all contain properties that may reduce inflammation and tighten the skin.
Eye creams and makeup with caffeine may also help reduce puffy eyes.
10. Talk to your doctor about cosmetic surgery
If your eye puffiness is severe, and if lifestyle changes or other remedies don’t work, you may want to consider cosmetic surgery.
One type of surgery is blepharoplasty, which is eyelid surgery. During this procedure, a doctor moves or removes excess fat, muscle, and skin in your eyelid.
Your doctor may also have recommendations for laser treatments, chemical peels, or prescription medications to help serious cases of puffy eyes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does puffy eyes take to go away?
Eyelid swelling usually goes away on its own within a day or so. If it doesn’t get better in 24 to 48 hours, you should call your primary care physician or see your eye doctor. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine your eye and eyelid.
Why do I wake up with swollen eyes?
Waking up with puffy eyelids—known as eyelid edema—occurs because of fluid retention. During sleep, the body’s heart rate and blood pressure slow down. As a result, less blood circulates, which can lead to eyelid edema in the morning.
Can you massage away eye bags?
Using gentle tapping motions with your index and middle fingers (no tugging or dragging), tap out a circle around your eyes. Tapping brings blood flow to the area. Go outward along your eyebrows, then inward along the top of your cheekbones toward the bridge of your nose. Circle your eyes three times.
Do bags under eyes ever go away?
While it’s not always possible to eliminate under-eye bags, the Mayo Clinic and WebMD have some suggestions: Sleep well—Get the proper amount of sleep for your age. Your entire body may feel better as a result. Adding an extra pillow may help fluid drain away from your eyes.
Is hot or cold better for puffy eyes?
Swelling in the eye area due to an infection, black eye or another type of injury can also be reduced by applying a cold compress, as cold temperatures numb pain and minimize swelling. Cold temperatures can also help minimize puffiness in the eyelids.
Are swollen eyes a symptom of Covid?
Pink eye (conjunctivitis) can be a COVID-19 symptom. Research suggests that the most common eye problems linked to COVID-19 are light sensitivity, sore eyes and itchy eyes.
Why are my upper eyelids puffy?
It’s often caused by a virus, bacteria, allergens or other irritants. Stye – An infection in an eyelash follicle or tear gland, styes appears as tender, red bumps at the edge of your eyelids. Chalazion – Similar to a stye, a chalazion is a harmless, small bump that appears on your eyelid.
How do you deflate bags under your eyes?
Reach for an eye cream with caffeine.
This natural depuffing ingredient will help reduce congestion and help smooth out the area within moments. One to try: 100% Pure Caffeine Eye Cream ($16.80, drugstore.com).
Does Vitamin E help with puffy eyes?
According to Rashidi, using vitamin E oil and almond oil together on the under-eye area can help to lighten dark circles and reduce under-eye puffiness, due to the combination of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that these two oils contain.
Can lack of water cause puffy eyes?
Dehydration can cause the skin around your eyes to look saggy and sunken. Fluid retention — such as from allergies or a salty meal — can produce puffiness.
How long do COVID eyes last?
The frequency of sore eyes was significantly higher during COVID-19 state compared with pre-COVID-19 state. Eighty-one per cent of participants who had experienced an eye symptom reported to have suffered from it within 2 weeks of other COVID-19 symptoms, and 80% reported they lasted for less than 2 weeks.
Does sleeping on your side cause puffy eyes?
Switch Your Sleep Position
Are you a side or stomach sleeper? Gravity causes fluid to collect under your eyes, which might explain those pesky bags. Try to sleep on your back and add an extra pillow under your head.
Is honey good for puffy eyes?
Topically applied honey can reduce inflammation and irritation in your eye. It can also kill harmful bacteria that could be causing an eye infection.
What Vitamin Are you lacking if you have bags under your eyes?
Vitamin deficiencies, including vitamin B12, E, K and D, have been associated with dark circles. 4- Volume Loss: Hollowness or the sunken appearance of the eyelids is the final primary cause of dark circles.
Can cold water get rid of eye bags?
When cold, water works as a vasoconstrictor that can help in the reduction of eye puffiness. Just use a washcloth dipped in cold water and put it over your eyes to reduce swelling and redness.
Does cold water help puffy eyes?
Cold compresses: Cooling the area lessens inflammation and swelling by reducing blood flow.
Does cold water reduce eye bags?
Drinking more water and applying a cold compress can help shrink eye bags quickly, but the only way to reduce their appearance in the long term is to make a few lifestyle changes. This is especially true if your eye bags and dark circles are genetically inherited.
What do dehydrated eyes look like?
The skin around your eyes is already thinner than other parts of the body, so any reduction in plumpness is visible relatively quickly. As a result, dehydration can cause your eye area to appear darker, discolored, sunken, or hollow.