Puffy eyes: How can I reduce puffiness?

What causes puffy eyes? How can I reduce under-eye puffiness, especially in the morning?

- Cathy / Iowa

Answer

Under-eye puffiness — whether in the form of mild swelling, dark "bags" or saggy under-eye skin — is the last thing most people want to see when they look in the mirror in the morning. Though mild puffiness under your eyes can be annoying or embarrassing, it's usually only a temporary cosmetic concern and rarely a sign of a serious underlying medical condition. Puffy eyes can result from a number of causes, including:

• Heredity
• Fluid retention such as due to changes in weather or hormone levels
• Allergies or dermatitis, especially if puffiness is accompanied by redness and itching
• Certain medications

There are a number of steps you can take to prevent and reduce mild under-eye puffiness:

• Get enough sleep at night. For most adults, seven to eight hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep.
• Sleep with your head slightly raised. Add an extra pillow or prop up the head of your mattress. This helps prevent fluids from accumulating around your eyes as you sleep.
• While sitting up, apply a cool tap water compress to the skin under your eyes for a few minutes. You can also use chilled cucumber slices, a refrigerated gel mask or chilled, damp tea bags.
• Reduce allergy symptoms. Avoid allergens when possible, and ask your doctor about over-the-counter or prescription allergy medications.

There is some anecdotal evidence that hemorrhoid cream applied under the eyes can reduce puffiness. But no clinical trials have evaluated its effectiveness for this use. Also, ingredients in hemorrhoid cream may be irritating to the skin around your eyes, resulting in dryness and inflammation.

If puffiness is severe and persistent or you notice swelling (edema) in other parts of your body, see your doctor. He or she will want to rule out other possible causes of swelling, such as kidney or thyroid problems or a side effect of medications.

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