Although dark circles under the eyes are often a sign of fatigue and to eliminate them it is enough to get a good night’s sleep, sometimes they signal an illness. According to internal medicine specialists, when they are caused by stress and fatigue, the solution lies in rest and lifestyle changes. However, when the bruises persist for a long time or worsen, and in addition they are accompanied by other ailments, they may be a symptom of more serious diseases.
First, you need to determine if your dark circles under your eyes are caused by insomnia, poor sleep quality (e.g. when you wake up often at night or feel uncomfortable, get up “broken”), fatigue or simply aging of the skin. With age, the skin under the eyes becomes thinner, and the veins and capillaries become more pronounced and visible. Other factors that cause bruising include:
- Stress,
- Excessive exposure to the sun,
- alcohol consumption,
- Smoking,
- caffeine abuse,
- Taking certain medications, such as birth control pills.
- Genetic predispositions,
- Allergies, e.g. dust, fur, cosmetic ingredients.
However, when we exclude the possibility that one of these relatively harmless and often manageable factors is the reason for the appearance of shadows, in addition, they last too long or their color intensifies, and are accompanied by other ailments – we may be dealing with more serious diseases. Which diseases cause dark circles under the eyes:
- Diabetes – other symptoms appearing with bruising are: pollakiuria, weight loss, increased thirst, weakness of the body.
- Hypothyroidism – the formation of swelling and discoloration is caused by the penetration of complex sugar molecules under the skin of the face. If you notice other symptoms of hypothyroidism, do blood tests and see an endocrinologist.
- Hypertension – there are bruises and heart palpitations, problems with insomnia, headaches, hyperactivity.
- Parasites – weight loss, abdominal pain, weakness – if we are dealing with these symptoms along with dark circles around the eyes, it is possible that it will be parasites, e.g. pinworms.
- Dermatomyositis – symptoms are violet erythema and swelling around the eye sockets, called “pseudo glasses”, may indicate collagen deficiencies in the skin and other tissues.
- Allergic rhinitis – then the so-called allergic shadows that indicate chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinuses. The reason for the appearance of bruises is venous stasis, which is caused by swelling of the mucous membrane in the sinuses.
- Malnutrition or dehydration Horseshoes are often a sign of a lack of electrolytes in the body, vitamin K or iron.
- Atopic dermatitis – when swelling of the eyelids and erythema on the face also appear.
- Allergic conjunctivitis – bruises plus conjunctival hyperemia and eyelid swelling.
- Diseases of the liver, kidneys or spleen – slight swelling and bruising around the eyes, abdominal pain or loss of appetite indicate liver or spleen failure, while pollakiuria and pain in the lumbar area indicate kidney problems.
- Anemia – impaired concentration, weakness, tachycardia, pale skin and mucous membranes, headaches and dizziness.