Puffy eyes are a condition where the eyes begin swelling due to different factors. The skin around the eyes is very thin and is full of blood vessels which make it very sensitive. Usually puffy eyes will go away after a little bit of time or some treatments done at home. Generally puffy eyes disappear inevitably after sometime or the problem can be dealt with treatments done at home. However, puffy eyes are also indications of additional eye condition that may necessitate scrutiny by an eye care expert. In instances where puffy eyes are critical and continual or are associated with pain, uneasiness, indistinct vision, or additional conditions the advice of a professional eye care specialist should be sought.

Symptoms of Puffy or Swollen Eyes:

* Puffiness or swelling of the upper and lower eyelids, usually in the morning.

* Occasionally accompanied by itching and/or redness.

* Not able to open or close the eyes.

Puffy Eyes Causes

What causes puffy eyes? There are all manner of insidious reasons people develop puffy eye syndrome. Here are some typical causes for puffy eyes:

* Fluctuating hormone levels, increasing the likelihood your body will retain fluid around the thin skin underneath your eyes.

* Edema or fluid retention throughout the body. Some causes for this include illness, inflammation and fatigue. Pregnancy also causes increasing edema in women.

* Dehydration, whether from drinking too little water or from a hangover. Either way, the only cure is more water.

When attempting to get rid of puffy eyes, eye creams and gels may or may not work. However, a variety of cold compresses are known to show dramatic improvement in short periods of time. Ice cold milk, ice cold water, ice cubes, eye creams and gels chilled in the refrigerator, and cold facial masks can all help to get rid of puffy eyes when used as a compress. When using liquids such as milk or ice water, use a cotton ball and then squeeze out nearly all the liquid before applying. Compresses usually require about 10 to fifteen minutes to get rid of puffy eyes while ice cubes should not be used for more than is readily tolerated by the skin.

Using cold remedies to get rid of puffy eyes tends to work faster with longer results. This is simply because the colder temperatures reduce swelling, which is part of the cause of a puffy eyed appearance. By reducing swelling, many people find their puffy eyes disappear altogether while other people find their puffiness has reduced but discoloration remains.

Fruits and vegetables such as strawberry, apple, cucumber, and potato slices can help with both the puffiness and the discoloration. Each has its own variety of nutrients which can ultimately feed the eyelid and under eye area. These nutrients are healthy for the skin when applied to the outside of the eye as well as when eaten.

Bags under the eyes are often due to fluid retention and again there are ways to reduce the problem other than turning to surgery.

The appearance of those bags can often look worse on waking in the mornings and that's because the fluid builds up overnight. You might like to try a little exercise in jumping up and down or just running up and down the stairs as gravity can help pull down the excess fluid and lessen their appearance.

There are other well know remedies such as lying down with cucumber or potato slices over the eyes and of course the application of ice or cold teaspoons.

You might also like to try tapping lightly with your finger in the under eye area for a minute or so to try and disperse the fluid.

If you believe that those bags under the eyes are as a result of your lifestyle or diet you could run a check on whether or not they are worse after eating certain foods or when you have been consuming too much alcohol or have been in a really smoky atmosphere. Try avoiding some of these things and see if it does make a difference.

Prevention

Elevating the head while sleeping can prevent the gravitational redistribution of fluid that is associated with eye swelling. A low-carb diet can prevent eye puffiness by preventing water retention. Eating foods rich in vitamins, especially A, C and E, helps to reduce eye puffiness and to maintain clear, moist skin