What Causes Bags Under Eyes – Aging, in Men, Hereditary, Morning Sleeping, Crying, Smoking

What causes under eye bags? Here are the causes of eye bags, including aging, oversleeping, smoking, crying, swollen eyes and many more. You will also learn the unique causes of puffy eye bags in men and the hereditary factors that contribute to the formation of eye bags under the eyes.

What causes under eye bags?
Are underlying diseases part of the causes of puffy under-eyes?
What causes eye bags in men?
Can oversleeping cause bags under the eyes?
Does crying make eyes puffy or swollen?

Mayo Clinic notes that under eye bags are just a cosmetic concern and not a sign of an underlying medical condition. The causes of under eye bags are not so selective, though a few factors relating to lifestyle may draw a few differences in the causes from one person to another. Below, we will be talking about nothing else but the peepers. Before we get to the causes of puffy under-eyes, let’s know what exactly they are, or how they look like. This will help you learn better ways to get rid of eye bags as well as dark eye circles.

What are Under Eye Bags?

What Causes Bags Under Eyes — Under Eye Bags

Under eye bags are puffy under eyes. So what are puffy under eyes? Well, in the simplest of definitions, puffy bags under eyes will appear as mild swellings under the eyes. They are common with aging as the tissues around the eyes, including muscles around the eyes weaken.

Normally, there is fat around the eyes that provides support for the eyes. As a person ages, this fat migrates forward and into the lower eyelids. Well, that is the primary cause of under eye bags.

What is the Difference between Puffy Under Eye Bags and Dark Eye Circles?

Well, most of us keep confusing between puffy under eye bags and dark eye circles. There is a clear difference between the two. Under eye bags simply refer to the puffiness or swellings that occur under the eyes while dark eye circles occur as the dark pigmentation around the eyes. The reason for the confusion between dark eye circles and under eye bags is because there is a likelihood of the two occurring together. In most cases, the causes of under eye bags are found to be the causes of dark eye circles. See more causes of eye bags.

What Causes Under Eye Bags?

There are many different causes of under eye bags. These may range from aging to hereditary factors to even wrong makeup. Dr. Frank Lipman, founder of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center, while writing his book notes that “two thirds of women are so worn out that they are tired and rely on sugar and caffeine to get by.”

He goes ahead to refer to them as the “spent generation” owing to the characteristic cycle of disrupted sleep, the evidence of which is clearly stamped in the form of puffy eyes and dark smudges (dark eye circles) under eyes. While his words may be true, the causes of under eye bags and dark circles in men are the same as those in women – most of the time. That said, let us look at what causes under eye bags or eye puffiness.

1. Aging and Eye Bags

Aging is one of the causes of under eye bags

Among the prominent causes of under eye bags, aging comes at the top of almost every list. When your peepers swell, does it mean gray hair is beckoning? Well, not really in all people, but some people in their late thirties may start experiencing dark eye circles as well as puffy under-eyes. According to doctors at Mayo Clinic, aging causes the tissues that support the eyelids to weaken and with increased effect of gravity, the skin under the eyes will definitely sag.

The skin under the eyes, being delicate, becomes thin as the aging process continues to occur. With the effect of gravity, the fat that surrounds the tissues around the eye becomes to migrate downward and will then result in bags under the eyes. That makes one of the causes of under eye bags. Some adults looking for ways on how to get rid of puffy eyes go for cosmetic surgery called blepharoplasty to reduce the look of swollen under-eyes.

2. Sleeping Habits Can Cause Puffy Eyes

Did you know that sleeping habits could be part of the causes of under eye bags? Health Services at Columbia reports that when a person is fatigued and does not get enough sleep, they are bound to develop both dark eye circles and under-eye bags. Facial muscles get tired too, so your eyes will appear droopy as the muscles will be less toned.

Now this one is going to come as a shocker to many as one of the contributing causes of under eye bags – that lying flat on your back will increase the appearance of puffy eyes and dark eye circles according to Mayo Clinic reports. In order to get rid of puffy under eyes, you can sleep while putting your head on a pillow to raise it will help prevent puffy bags under the eyes.

3. Hereditary Genetics and Under-Eye Bags

Yet another of the surprising causes of under eye bags – genetics. Just like wrinkles and the causes of cellulite, heredity does not miss on the list. Metro Health Center for Sleep Medicine’s Dennis Auckley, M.D. says that genetic disposition may be one of the major causes of under eye bags as well as dark eye circles in both men and women. If you have the tendency of fluid retaining in the under-eye blood vessels, you might have inherited this from your lineage. The trait may be more pronounced as you continue to age or eve when coupled with other causes of under eye bags. People who are found to have puffy under-eyes caused by hereditary factors may go for blepharoplasty eye surgery to get rid of the under eye bags.

4. Fluid Retention Under the Eyes

Fluid retention may cause eye puffiness. Your sleeping posture is likely to be a major cause of the pockets from fluid retention.

Accumulating fluid under the eyes is one of the commonest causes of under eye bags. It is common in some people to accumulate fluid during hot, humid weather conditions. Doctors also warn that taking drinks high in caffeine and salt levels may increase the likelihood of developing dark eye circles and swollen under-eyes. Foods that may cause puffy under-eyes include potato chips and coffee.

5. Fatigue or Tiredness

Have you been getting enough sleep lately? Well, genetics and aging are not the only the only causes of under eye bags. Now there are causes of puffy eyes that you have control over. Lack of adequate sleep is likely to show itself with swollen under eyes. Looking at a computer for a long time, or even too much reading will cause fatigue to your eye muscles. Doctors say that eye muscles become droopy when tired, causing one to get the tired-eyes look.

6. Iron Deficient Diet

Known as one of the causes of dark eye circles, a diet deficient in iron is also an entrant on the list of causes of under eye bags. As already noted, foods high in caffeine, sugar and salt levels may cause increased fluid retention under the eyes and cause under eye bags. People who are keen to observe taking enough water and eat a healthy diet containing supplies of Vitamins C, A and E always have alert-looking eyes. Diets deficient in iron are causes of under eye bags as well as dark eye circles. Coffee as well as foods with lots of preservatives are not the best friends if you are looking to cross as many culprits as possible from the list of the causes of under eye bags.

7. Smoking and Under-Eye Bags

Smoking and Eye Puffiness and Dark Eye Circles

Like caffeine, smoking can cause blood capillaries to shrink and fail to drain away excess fluid under the eyes. Also, the effect of smoke weakens eye muscles, making them sag to form not only wrinkles and dark eye circles but also under eye bags.

8. Crying Causes Puffy Eyes

Periorbital puffiness is also caused by crying. Well, if you have been shedding tears all day and now wondering what are the causes of under eye bags, it is exactly what had been happening. Crying will make your eyes feel not only sore but also tired. Tears are salty and can cause fluid retention around the eyes. Like many other causes of under eye bags, accumulation of fluid will cause dark eye circles as well as eye bags.

9. Poor Eye Makeup and Contact Lenses Removal Techniques

These causes of under eye bags in are prevalent in women who use heavy eye makeup and remove it roughly. Contact lenses, especially non prescription contacts can also cause the development of dark eye circles as well as swollen eyes. The puffiness may occur from bruising during the act of removing the makeup.

10. Hormonal Imbalances

During pregnancy and menstruation, it is common for women to have under-eye bags. Well, hormonal changes could be the causes of under eye bags. During this time, the body retains a lot of fluid, making it to manifest itself in puffy eyes.

11. Other Causes of Under Eye Bags

Chagas disease
Hypothyroidism
Mononucleosis – “In the early stages of a mono infection, eyes can become swollen and irritated”
Nephrotic Syndrome – the result of kidney damage
Periorbital cellulitis – an infection that can cause severe inflammation of the eyelid and cause under eye bags
Trichinosis – a parasitic infection that occurs from eating raw pork may also contribute as one of the causes of both dark eye circles and puffy under eyes because its symptoms include swelling and pain in around eyes.

Though you may not like the way those under-eye bags look, those swollen under-eyes they are harmless and may not require medical attention. Unless you suspect there are underlying medical conditions that could be part of the causes of puffy under-eyes, there is no need to see a doctor. You could however need to see a doctor when these swellings are persistent and accompanied by pain and itching, or even redness.

Here’s a video on the causes of under eye bags, some treatments and tips.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSN_JaJ7uHU&rel=0&showinfo=0]

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