The dark circles that surround the perimeter of your eyes are known as periorbital dark circles by doctors. This change in appearance is caused by many different reasons. Almost everyone gets these dark circles from time to time, but some of us end up suffering from them on a consistent basis.
Depending on your medical history and current health situation, these three problems may be causing dark circles under your eyes.
Allergies
If you suffer from allergies, especially severe seasonal reactions, the irritation of itchy, inflamed eyes can lead to the growth of dark circles. Any time the eye becomes irritated, darker circles may manifest, especially if you can’t help but rub your itchy eyes.
Touching your ocular area will increase swelling and darken the eyes even if it does provide a brief sense of relief.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition that severely disrupts breathing patterns while resting, even causing you to stop breathing entirely for brief periods of time. This condition occurs because of excess or loose skin in the airways, leading to loud snoring and difficulty sleeping. Interrupted sleep causes dark circles under the eyes to grow specifically because of the fatigue you experience.
Heredity and Hyperpigmentation
Some people just have it in the family. For whatever reason, the genetic profile of your parents ended up passing along the effect of dark rings under the eyes. This could be unusually thin skin around the eyes or greater transparency of your epidermis – both of which are inherited traits that could lead to periorbital dark circles. Hyperpigmentation, which creates more melanin, could also be the culprit.
Getting Help for Your Dark Circles
Cosmetic procedures and makeup will cover up dark circles, but the only way to reduce or eliminate them is to tackle the underlying causes – with the exception of heredity, for the time being. If you find yourself constantly exhausted, seeking a physician with expertise in throat-related matters like sleep apnea may help. The effects of severe food and environmental allergies can be reduced by seeking treatment to combat your allergies.
Getting an appropriate amount of sleep every night is a key way of reducing and even reversing the growth of dark circles underneath your eyes. These are only a few of the reasons why periorbital dark circles appear on your visage. A more serious issue that this symptom may signal includes liver disease, anemia and a negative reaction to medication.
Want Relief from Sleep Apnea and Allergies? A Sinus Doctor Can Help!
While there are plenty of ways to temporarily relieve the effects of allergies and sleep apnea, the symptoms will typically return. At Houston Sinus & Allergy, we help patients to meet their allergies head on with more permanent solutions, such as immunology.
Contact us today for more information about our allergy and sleep treatments.
