SWOLLEN EYES: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND REMEDIES

The eyes are a very delicate organ and any ailment that involves them should not be underestimated.
Ocular swelling occurs as a result of excess fluid (edema) present in the soft tissues surrounding the eyes and can occur in conditions affecting the eye region only or in association with more general conditions, such as colds or allergies.

Swollen eyes (in medicine this condition is called periorbital edema) represent an annoying condition that, beyond the unpleasant aesthetic component, can hide more serious disorders related to eye diseases that may require examination by a specialist. Do not worry, however, with simple remedies, you can prevent and treat the problem, showing off a more relaxed and healthy look.

Before being alarmed, however, know that even a common cry can make the eyes swell, this is due to the fact that the body reacts to emotions by making more blood flow through the eyes, which produces a swelling.

Swollen eyes: what are the causes?

As we have said, the causes that lead to periorbital edema are really many, from the most trivial to real pathologies to be kept under control. Here are the main ones:

Prolonged crying
Allergies caused by pollen, animal hair, food, insect bites or drugs
Reaction to make up
Water retention
Lack of sleep or excess sleep
Eye fatigue
Stress
Inflammation of the conjunctiva (conjunctivitis) or inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis)
Sty
Ocular herpes
Excessive sun exposure
Sinusitis and colds
Blunt trauma or orbital bone fractures
Presence of a foreign body in the eye
Unbalanced diet with excessive salt intake

See also: Foods against fatigue: the perfect foods to fight it

It should be emphasized that some infections and inflammatory ocular conditions, if not adequately treated, can lead to the onset of serious complications, such as visual disturbances, infection of the skin and underlying tissues, or even, in extreme cases, meningitis or encephalitis.
Hence the importance of accurately determining the cause of this disorder, possibly also by consulting your doctor.

Swelling of the eyes: the symptoms accompanying it

Eye swelling manifests itself differently depending on the underlying cause. For example, if it is an allergy, the swelling will be accompanied by itching, while if it is a conjunctivitis there will be secretions.
The most common common symptoms related to puffy eyes are:

excessive tearing
"stuck" (stuck) eyelashes or eyelids upon awakening
inability to tolerate a bright light source
itch
pain or pain sensitivity
redness
changes in your vision, such as blurred vision

However, swollen eyes may include symptoms related to other areas of the body as well, including: swollen lymph nodes, sneezing and runny nose, flu symptoms, (tiredness, fever, sore throat, headache, cough and pain), high blood pressure, rash skin or hives, swelling of the face, neck or throat.

In some rare cases, eye swelling can occur alongside symptoms that could indicate a serious condition for which immediate medical evaluation is needed. In particular, it is recommended to go to the nearest emergency room in the presence of: swelling of the eyelid following a head injury, high fever, swelling of the eyelid following a head injury, itchy throat or mouth, confusion, lethargy or hallucinations , breathing problems and severe headache, sudden swelling of the face, lips or tongue.

"During the physical examination," explains "ophthalmologist Christopher J. Brady," the doctor looks for signs of ailments that can affect other parts of the body, even if it focuses mainly on the eyes. Look for rhinorrhea and other signs of allergies, toothache or headache, which may indicate a dental or sinus infection, fever and skin changes near the eyes ".

Natural remedies

To act on swollen eyes it is essential to identify the cause, and then go to the doctor to establish a diagnosis and adopt the most appropriate therapy.
There are also effective natural remedies without contraindications: they can therefore be used in all situations, to quickly relieve eye swelling.
These home remedies will be very useful if the swelling is not related to an underlying disease, but to a momentary disturbance such as eye fatigue, lack of sleep, a cold, a temporary irritation or in case of water retention.

Among the natural treatments there are also:
- The compresses with cold water
- The water and salt packs. Just dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in half a liter of hot water, let it cool and apply some gauze soaked in this mixture. This type of pack is very useful in case of water retention or infection, as the salt helps drain liquids and disinfect.
- Tea (green or black) and chamomile. Just apply tea or chamomile tea bags to your eyes and let them cool. All of these plants are decongestant and soothing.
- The cucumber slices. It is not a false myth: the famous cucumber slices first put in the fridge for a few hours and then applied to the eyes are a real cure-all!
- Aloe vera. Aloe vera is a plant with a thousand properties. In case of swelling, a gauze soaked in pure aloe vera (available in health food stores and herbalists) should be applied to the eyelids

It is also advisable:
- do not rub your eyes when they are swollen
- wash your hands well when treating swollen eyes and use sterile gauze

As for cosmetic remedies, here are our recommendations:
-Remescar eye serum
-Eyepads in Purederm collagen gel
- Euphidra hypoallergenic corrector

The healthy habits to adopt

To reduce the problem of puffy eyes and have beautiful and healthy eyes, it is also important to adopt some rules:
1) Make some lifestyle changes, for example by reducing the consumption of salt and animal fats and increasing the intake of antioxidants (red fruits, citrus fruits, etc.).
2) Alcohol should naturally be avoided.
3) Trying to reduce stress and sleeping on your back with your head elevated also helps drain fluids.
4) We must also remember to always remove make-up before going to sleep.
5) And you should always read the labels of the cosmetics used, to avoid potentially harmful and allergenic substances for the eyes.

Certainly a rested and peaceful sleep is one of the best antidotes. But how can you overcome stress and fatigue and sleep peacefully? Here you can find some tips from which to take inspiration to wake up fresh and rested and with a dream look!

For more useful information on puffy eyes, you can visit the Humanitas website.