Swollen eyes

Swollen eyes are a common everyday problem that can have various causes. Not everyone has disease value. You can also have puffy eyes due to natural causes - for example age-related or hereditary.

What are puffy eyes?

The definition of puffy eyes is that there is edema or puffiness around the eyes. The swelling can affect only one lid of the eye or the general area around the eye.

Puffy eyes can be acute and chronic. The doctor must check whether the swelling is normal or due to allergies or illnesses.

However, puffy eyes can also be caused by bags under the eyes or by advanced age and then have no disease value. The same goes for puffy eyes in the morning.

causes

The causes of puffy eyes can be many. Sometimes the tendency to bags under the eyes is inherited in the family. Allergies to cosmetics are more likely to cause puffy eyes. These are usually accompanied by redness and itching. Under certain circumstances, the whole face can even swell.

It is well known that swollen eyes are caused by a blow to the eye. Usually the eye then turns blue and one speaks of a violet. Puffy eyes in the morning can result from impaired lymph flow. This has to do with being flat in bed. However, it is also possible that certain foods that you ate the night before cause puffy eyes. Alcohol, salt nibbles, or a meal that is too high in protein can also cause puffy eyes.

In women, puffy eyes can occur during menstruation or before ovulation. A house dust allergy can also cause puffy eyes. Dry heating air, pollen or duvets with feathers can trigger puffy eyes as well as high blood pressure, kidney or thyroid disorders. Puffy eyes can often occur with a cold - especially if the sinuses are affected.

Also, puffy eyes can occur after palladium fillings or other dental problems. Computer workstations also often lead to dry and puffy eyes. If you notice swollen eyes after wearing contact lenses, the eye is too dry or you cannot tolerate the lenses. Conjunctivitis, stye, eyelid inflammation and bacterial infections of the eye also lead to swollen eyes.

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Diseases with this symptom

• House dust allergy
• cold

• Conjunctivitis
• Inflammation of the eyelid

• high blood pressure
• Stye

Diagnosis & course

Although swollen eyes do not have to be considered to be a disease, in certain cases they should be diagnosed. This is especially true if you notice puffy eyes combined with redness, itching, or pain.

If swollen eyes appear in old age, this is mostly due to declining organ functions or chronic diseases. Some lead to more water in the tissue, which leads to edema, fat legs and puffy eyes. In the case of acute swelling in the eye, the course of the disease can be easily alleviated.

In the case of chronic complaints, the course depends on the underlying disease. Depending on the situation, the diagnosis of "puffy eyes" may require a visit to an ophthalmologist, an internist or an allergist.

Complications

The term "medical complication" designates an accompanying symptom which occurs in the course of an exacerbation of the original disease or due to another disease of another organ. Such complications can also come from preparations used for the original disease. Puffy eyes are a symptom that occurs due to various eye conditions like eye flu.

If swollen eyes are not treated shortly, a possible infection can permanently damage the eye. Puffy eyes sometimes appear after a night of partying. Ergo, the cause of the puffy eyes should be identified, as they can be harmless, but also dangerous. Complications of eye diseases Eye diseases should be identified with the doctor just as much as the eye diseases themselves. Medicines can cause diseases of the eyes.

Therefore, various eye diseases can also be caused by drugs. Then these are omitted or changed. Otherwise, medical agents must be taken again to counteract the side effects of the medicine. Therefore, the treatment of the eye diseases must be carefully selected, and preferably only involve one drug. Puffy eyes can also occur in the form of allergies to a certain preparation. Eating healthy food and refraining from smoking can prevent many eye diseases and their complications. Several eye diseases flare up especially in chronically ill and aging clients.

When should you go to the doctor?

Puffy eyes may run in the family or from advanced age. In particular, the areas of the eyelids and the eye areas below the eyes, which are also known as bags under the eyes, tend to accumulate water in the tissue due to their condition or illness.

Occasionally, puffy eyes can occur as a result of bad habits, such as after eating certain foods or after a short night. Those who attribute their puffy eyes to such causes can probably do without a doctor's visit. To be on the safe side, it is nevertheless advisable to ask your general practitioner for an opinion on the puffy eyes at least the next time you visit a doctor.

Causes of puffy eyes can be in the immediate vicinity of the eyes. These include conjunctivitis, stye, hailstone and a tumor. Various allergies, especially those to house dust, mites and pollen, also have a significant influence on the development of puffy eyes. On top of that, puffy eyes are not uncommon as a side effect of colds.

It is particularly important to have a doctor examine swollen eyes with regard to possibly life-threatening diseases of the heart and kidneys. Thyroid disorders and impaired lymph flow are also possible triggers for puffy eyes.

Treatment & Therapy

Puffy eyes caused by a cold are treated with cold remedies, light food and bed rest. If swollen eyes occur with high blood pressure or as a result of kidney or thyroid disorders, the cause must be treated by a specialist.

In the case of acute allergies, the triggering allergen must be determined. Therapy for puffy eyes then consists in omitting the trigger; if necessary, treating with antihistamines or cortisone. Various eye drops and eye ointments are available from the ophthalmologist for swollen eyes.

Cold compresses help against puffy eyes in the morning or puffy eyes after a night of drinking. You can treat swollen eyes with slices of cucumber or tea bags that have become cold.

You should refrain from doing this, however, if the swollen eyes are irritated or inflamed. Anti-allergic bedding and air filters help against puffy eyes caused by bed mites, pollen or down allergies.

Outlook & forecast

At first glance, puffy eyes are not a worrying clinical picture in which an unexpected course of the disease can occur. Many sufferers suffer from puffy eyes, especially in the morning hours. However, these disappear after several hours when the liquid flows back again.

However, if the swollen eyes are caused by an underlying disease, no immediate improvement can be expected if the treatment is not treated. If, for example, there is an allergy to pollen or house dust mites, the eyes remain permanently puffy. However, with proper treatment and the right medication, puffy eyes can be treated very effectively.

Under certain circumstances, swollen eyes can also lead to other cold symptoms. This includes, for example, a strong cough, a cold nose or an increased temperature. Without any treatment, the individual symptoms can also get significantly worse. For this reason, appropriate treatment by a doctor is highly advisable. A significant improvement can be expected after just a few days.

A full recovery is the rule for puffy eyes. There is no permanent consequential damage and the permanent use of medication can be dispensed with.

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prevention

As a preventive measure against puffy eyes, one should drink enough water so that the lymph flow is good. Salt should be used sparingly, as should alcohol. In general, a healthy lifestyle is the most effective remedy for puffy eyes.

You can do that yourself

Various measures relieve puffy eyes. Adequate hydration is important. It helps to stimulate the lymphatic transport and thus to avoid puffy eyes. Cooling glasses or a spoon that has been stored in the freezer at night should be placed on the eye for about ten minutes early in the morning to relieve early morning puffiness. Freshly cut cucumber slices on the eyes are tried and tested. They cool the eyes and moisturize the skin.

A gentle massage of the eyelids is often helpful against puffy eyes. The skin around the eyes is massaged with gentle circular movements and / or gently tapped from the bridge of the nose along the lower eyelid. Hemorrhoidal ointment can help with swollen eyes. A thin layer of the ointment is applied to the eyelids. Attention should be paid to the ingredients. Cortisone and local anesthetics are not recommended as they numb and weaken the skin. For example, horse chestnut extracts are recommended. They have a natural decongestant effect. Direct eye contact must be avoided at all costs. Eye care products with ingredients like caffeine or green tea often help to relieve puffiness.

If a bacterial infection is the cause of the puffy eyes, the contact lenses should be changed to avoid re-infection. In addition, your own hands should be kept clean.