Puffy Eyes - What to Do

I'm sure most of us, at some point, would have woken up with swollen eyelids, that make you look old, tired and highly deprived of sleep. It could have been an important day, when looking your best was extremely essential, but the puffy eyelids ruined it all. Dark circles under eyes and puffy eyes are two major concerns for many, especially for those people for whom looking good and presentable on a daily basis is essential. Puffy eyes, also known as under eye bags, may at times be a mere beauty problem, but many a times it indicates a serious underlying health condition. It can be caused due to various factors, so determining the actual cause is very essential in order to get rid of puffy eyes. What to do about puffy eyes? The answer to this can be found in the form of various natural remedies and easy home remedies.

Causes and Symptoms of Puffy Eyes

Puffy eyes caused due to crying is commonly experienced by many. Puffy eyes can also be caused due to various other reasons such as lack of sufficient sleep, excessive fluid retention or edema, stress, consumption of certain types of medication, allergies, hormonal changes, consumption of alcohol, excessive intake of salt, etc. Other puffy eyes causes include medical conditions like eyelid dermatitis, high blood pressure, thyroid related problems, kidney infections, chalazions, blepharitis and orbital cellulitis. The symptoms of puffy eyes include swelling of the upper eyelid or lower eyelid, or both, redness of the eye, itching, watering of the eyes, and being unable to open or shut the eyes. Excessive fluid retention in the tissues (orbits) around the eyes is what causes temporary eye puffiness. Read more on eye problems.

Puffy Eyes - What to do about Puffy Eyes

Once you have determined the cause of puffy eyes, curing it can be easy. If the puffy eyes is caused due to a medical condition, curing the condition causing it is the recommended treatment. For puffy eyes from crying and temporary eye puffiness, you can try curing it using various home remedies.

If you are still wondering how to get rid of puffy eyes, what to do about puffy eyes or how to prevent them, then here are some puffy eyes remedies that you could use.

• The most commonly used and well known home remedy for puffy eyes in the morning is to place cold cucumber slices on the eyelids for 15-20 minutes. This helps reduce the swelling around the eyes due to the cooling and soothing effect of the cucumber slices. You can also make use of refrigerated tea bags instead of cucumber slices.
• Splashing ice cold water on your eyelids will also help get rid of puffy eyes in the morning and puffy eyes from crying.
• Refrigerating eye creams, and applying them to puffy eyes can help reduce the swelling as well.
• Mix some aloe vera juice with vitamin E oil and apply it under the eyes on a regular basis, if you are prone to puffy eyes. Using this can significantly reduce puffy eyes.
• Another good home remedy for puffy eyes is to soak cotton wool in ice cold water or ice cold milk and place it on the eyelids for 10 minutes.
• Apply a mixture of two drops of witch hazel added to well beaten egg whites on the puffy eyelids and rinse off after a few minutes. This tightens the skin under the eyes and reduces eye puffiness.
• Cool a rounded metal spoon in the refrigerator and place it on your eyelids. This is a very simple way to get rid of puffy eyes.

Other simple remedies for curing and preventing puffy eyes include getting adequate rest and sleep, avoiding the intake of salty food, alcoholic and carbonated drinks, and adequate intake of water. Also, avoid sleeping on your stomach as it may cause puffy eyes. If you are prone to puffy eyes in the morning, try sleeping with your head in an elevated position. Remove all your eye makeup and wash your face well before you go to bed. Puffy eyes caused due to aging may require medical assistance to be cured. Read more on eye care.

Now that you know the symptoms of puffy eyes, what to do about them, and how to prevent them, do not worry if you wake one day with swollen eyelids. If the eye puffiness persists for more than four to five days, you should seek medical assistance and get it treated appropriately.