Puffy Eyes
- Posted on: Oct 27 2021
When I woke up the other morning, I looked in the mirror and thought to myself, ‘Wow! My eyelids look puffy!’ For years, I have been seeing patients about their eyelid-related concerns, and every day, I have patients come in whose confidence has been shaken because of puffy eyelids. As I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought about what I’d tell my patient if they were experiencing the same thing.
Puffy eyelids can be a result of a wide variety of causes, so anytime someone comes up to me and says their puffy eyelids are bothering them, I ask a series of questions to determine what is going on.
First, I always ask patients how long their eyelids have appeared that way. If the answer is years, then I know it is likely due to excess skin and soft tissue around the eyes that have seen the effect of time and gravity. If someone tells me that their eyelids have only been puffy for a day, much like my own, I would check to see if they had been exposed to any new allergens. If the exam is consistent with an allergic reaction, I would prescribe them the correct medication. Dietary changes can also cause troublesome eyelid symptoms, such as puffiness and swelling. Oftentimes an increase in salt can cause swelling in the eyelids.
If patients come to see me and only one of their eyelids is puffy or swollen, this is a bit more concerning. I usually will do a full workup to find out the source of the swelling, which could be a minor skin infection, or an infection that has spread behind the eye.
All of these eyelid conditions have their own treatments based on the diagnosis. The treatment could be as simple as a topical eye drop or it could be more complicated and may even require surgery.
The eyelid puffiness I was experiencing responded well to topical anti-seasonal allergy eye drops. The next time you notice eyelid puffiness, or if puffy eyelids have been something that has bothered you for years, please come in to see the Eyelid Expert. We will evaluate you, use the clues from your medical history, do an examination then get you on the road to healthy, youthful appearing eyelids. To schedule an appointment, visit www.azulbeauty.com/contact/ or call 239-415-7576.
Posted in: V-Eye-P