What Causes Bags Under Eyes: Find Out Reasons
Bags under eyes can be a result of different causes.
It can be a sign of aging, being tired, or even unhealthy habits.
The best way to treat them is to solve why they occur.
There may be multiple reasons for what causes bags under the eyes.
The reasons why they may occur include aging, air pollution, allergies, dehydration, and smoking.
Here are some explanations of what causes bags under the eyes.
Unhealthy habits
While sleeping, fluids gather in the tissue beneath your eyes, according to NCBI.
If you get too little sleep, the blood vessels beneath your eyes might leak and mix with this fluid.
This may lead to dark circles under the eyes.
In the same study, researchers found that people who did not get enough sleep at night were likely to have hanging eyelids and swollen eyes.
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol is a liquid that causes dehydration, according to Healthline.
The skin under the eyes may become weak and flabby, due to which eye bags may form and be apparent.
Smoking tobacco
The nicotine in tobacco can disturb the natural sleep pattern of your brain. This may result in fluid collection beneath the eyes.
Smoking also leads to the production of substances that make the skin less elastic.
Collagen, which keeps skin firm, also breaks down due to nicotine.
Skin irritation
If you vigorously rub or scratch your eyes, you may irritate your skin and cause swelling.
Be gentle when removing eye makeup, and use a gentle cleanser.
You should also avoid using harsh ingredients to avoid exacerbating eye area skin concerns.
Not removing makeup before heading to sleep
Not removing makeup before sleep may also cause bags under your eyes.
This happens as the makeup, if kept on for a long time, may irritate the tissue under your eyes.
Dehydration
Dehydration causes normal hollows and fat pad protrusions to be more noticeable. This is because the body holds onto water even more when dehydrated.
To check if you are dehydrated, pinch the skin on the back of your hand.
The skin is not elastic if it takes time to snap back.
This will happen even during moderate dehydration or when they have lost around 10% of their body weight in fluids.
To make sure that you are not dehydrated, drink enough water daily.
Take 3.7 liters of water if you are assigned the gender male at birth or 2.7 liters if given the female gender at birth.
This number is not static, it depends on your physical activity and health.
You can also consume foods like cucumber and watermelon to help prevent dehydration. This is because they have high water content in them.
To ensure your skin remains hydrated, rely on eye creams with lipids and ceramides to hydrate the eye area and reduce swelling.
Also Read: To know the best and most effective products for bags under the eyes, read our article “Best Product For Bags Under Eyes: An Overview.”
Intake of too much salt
Overeating salt can result in fluids being retained in the body.
The salt causes dehydration, so the body retains more fluid to counteract it.
Try reducing salt intake to ensure your body does not retain water.
You should consume less than 2300 mg of Sodium per day or less than one teaspoon per day.
If you have too much salt, make sure to consume water to decrease the puffiness of the eyes.
Nutrient deficiency
The deficiency of Vitamin C may also result in bags under the eyes.
This may happen because Vitamin C helps in collagen production in the skin, which gives the skin its elasticity and shape.
Inheritance
Some people have eye bags just because their parents have them.
So the eye bags can be hereditary as well.
Crying
Every time you cry, your eyes become puffy.
This is because, typically, tears are drained to prevent a fluid buildup in the eyes.
However, crying leads to that drainage being overwhelmed.
The surrounding tissue may then absorb the excess fluid or tears.
You can use a cold compress, roller, or spoon to prevent your eyes from becoming puffy.
Also Read: Want to know more about such effective home remedies? Read “Home Remedies for Bags Under Eyes: Cure it at Home” and learn about them.
Too much exposure to the sun
Exposure to too much sun can cause eye bags under your eyes in two ways.
It can break down the collagen and elastin in the skin, which are responsible for skin structure, firmness, and skin elasticity.
Also, it may deprive the skin of moisture.
Moisture is necessary for maintaining a healthy appearance and the proper functioning of the cells.
This leads to sagging skin and a loss of skin elasticity, which contributes to eye swelling.
Medical Conditions
Many eye conditions, such as eye infections, can cause puffiness. The most common ones include the following:
- Blepharitis
In Blepharitis, eyelid infection occurs along with dandruff-like pieces on eyelashes.
- Stye
A stye is an infection of the oil gland that results in a red, small, painful bump on the eyelid.
- Viral Conjunctivitis
Also called pink eye, it is the infection of the conjunctivitis layer which lines the eyes.
There are many allergies as well that may lead to bags under the eyes.
Not only do allergies stuff up your nose, but they also cause swelling in the sinus tissue.
This may appear as puffiness or eye bags under your eyes.
You can go for an allergy test if you are unsure what you are allergic to.
You can also try to use oral or intranasal histamines and a cold eye roller or gel to treat your allergy.
To treat eye infections, you need to treat their underlying cause.
It would help if you were referred to an optometrist to receive proper treatment for the eye infection.
Medications
Medications may not directly cause eye bags. However, if it results in decreased skin tone or lack of sleep, it may indirectly cause eye bags.
You should consult your doctor if any drug is causing the bags under your eyes.
Nasal Congestion
Nasal congestion may also result in swelling of the face and eyes.
When nasal congestion happens, the fluid present cannot drain to different cavities in the face.
This fluid in sinus cavities causes swelling of the lower eyelids.
You can use over-the-counter medicines, home remedies, nasal sprays, or tea and hot showers to reduce this swelling.
Aging
When you age, tissues and muscles weaken.
The fat naturally supporting your eyes may sink to the area beneath them, making them look swollen. Fluid collecting in that area may add to the swelling.
Air pollution
It may cause dark spots to appear on the skin.
Not only that, but it may also lead to eye irritation that may trigger infection.
This may create a swollen appearance as the blood vessels under the eyes swell.
Takeaway
There are many reasons why eye bags may occur under your eyes.
In order to cure the eye bags, you need to solve the problem that causes them.
These reasons include causes such as dehydration, not getting enough rest, aging, genetics, and even air pollution.
Frequently asked questions
What deficiency causes bags under your eyes?
Vitamins C deficiency may result in the formation of eye bags under your eyes. This is because Vitamin C helps in the production of healthy collagen cells.
Can dehydration cause eye bags?
Yes, dehydration may cause eye bags as dehydration will make the fat protrusions and hollows on your face more noticeable.
How do you get bags under your eyes?
You get bags under your eyes due to aging, dehydration, allergies, not sleeping as much as required, nasal congestion, and even air pollution.
What medical conditions cause bags under the eyes?
Dermatitis, dermatomyositis, renal disease, and thyroid eye disease are medical conditions that may cause bags under the eyes.
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