Dark circles under the eyes are a common medical condition of both men and women, although they can sometimes be observed in young ages or children. Dark circles under the eyes do not necessarily indicate tiredness, but stress and exhaustion are likely to aggravate the facial appearance of many individuals, including their likelihood to develop dark circles. People who suffer from dark circles under their eyes often look older, sadder, more tired and more stressed out than they are. In most cases, dark circles under the eyes are not a sign of a serious medical condition.
But, what causes these dark circles under eyes?
There is no single cause for this problem, but it may occur due to various reasons such as sleep deprivation, excessive smoking, excess alcohol consumption, allergies, eczema, aging, heredity factors, malnutrition, gluten intolerance, mold exposure, candida, stress, and illness. Sleep deprivation is considered the primary reason, and the easiest to prevent. But oversleeping can also cause dark eye circles. Allergies and nasal congestion can dilate the blood vessels that drain from the area around the eyes, causing them to darken. There is also a direct relationship between dark circles under the eye and age. As we get older, we lose some of the fat and collagen surrounding our eyes. This loss, joined with the thinning of our skin, intensifies the development of dark circles. In addition, heredity factors also play a leading role. For example, dark circles under the eyes that appear in childhood are often an inherited trait. Some children will outgrow them, but others will not. Some people notice that dark circles under the eyes tend to run in families as well.
Malnutrition can cause dark circles under eyes. A common cause is low iron and/or low vitamin B12 and sometimes folic acid. This can be especially seen with vegetarians. The deficiency may prevent the blood from providing enough oxygen to eye tissues, resulting in the appearance of dark circles. Take a look at MegaMulti which is a great multiple vitamin to pick up the deficiencies.
Wheat or gluten intolerance can also contribute. Try eliminating wheat, barley, and rye from your diet for a couple of weeks to see how you do. This is not foolproof though. There are other products that can have gliadin cross contamination issues with gluten. Also, when someone stops their intake of gluten, they can increase their consumption of certain foods that also can cause problems, such as buckwheat, sorghum, hemp, sesame, amaranth, quinoa, tapioca, teff, and potato. The only way to find out what you are sensitive to is to have the right testing performed; otherwise, you are just guessing.
Mold exposure can also cause chronic dark eye circles. This very common problem can decrease your immunes ability to deal with detoxification. There are several types of mold, and some may just cause allergies, while black mold (Stachybotrys), Penicillium and Aspergillus can be toxic. Not only can they cause black circles under the eyes, they can be linked to memory problems, brain damage, leukemia, and cancer of the kidneys, esophagus, and liver. These molds can weaken the immune system and damage DNA in the cell. This can cause chronic illnesses, birth defects, infertility, and miscarriages. Here again, testing for you and your environment can help you know if this is causing issues.
Candida, which is a fungus, can also cause dark circles. Making sure you do not have an overgrowth of candida can make a difference. Of course, certain diets high in carbohydrates and processed foods can feed candida. When someone has a problem digesting food due to a lack of stomach acid and or digestive enzymes, food can putrefy or ferment, which can cause an increase in opportunistic or pathological bacteria. Candida then can become a problem since the beneficial bacteria are not in large enough numbers to keep the candida under control. Taking a digestive aid with HCL and enzymes and a probiotic can be beneficial. See my digestive supplement Digest and probiotic ProBio in my website store.
People who drink too much coffee can have difficulty getting enough sleep. Fluid retention, as may occur with excess salt in the diet, can cause dark circles. Pregnancy or weight gain may be considered an additional risk factor. Bacterial infection of the eyelid such as Periorbital cellulitis can carry an additional risk for these dark circles.
How to get rid of these black circles under your eyes?
The first and most important step is to get plenty of sleep at night. It’s not fully understood why insufficient sleep may result in dark circles under the eyes, but it seems that lack of sleep does reduce circulation and increases the tendency of the skin to become pale (thus increasing the appearance of darkness under the eyes). It is advised that you remove all eye makeup before going to bed at night. Make sure that you sleep seven to nine hours per night. You should also abstain from alcohol and drugs because they can negatively affect the quality of your sleep.
One of the most common causes of skin discoloration under the eyes is an allergy. If an allergy is the root of the problem, you shall treat the allergy or avoid the allergen. If there are persistent dark circles under the eyes, you may have an undetected food allergy or an allergy to a chemical or mold in your home. People with allergies also tend to be deficient in B6, folic acid, and B12, so taking a multivitamin can be beneficial.
A stuffy or congested nose can result in dark circles under the eyes because the veins around sinuses are darkened and dilated. Here again, you need to think about how your immune system is working, and how to boost it. Watch my video, antibiotic resistance to get some ideas on how to boost your immune system.
You must eat a healthy, balanced diet. Inadequate antioxidants, vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, and vitamin K deficiency may lead to skin problems such as dark circles and puffiness under your eyes. Hence, you must eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially cabbage, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables. Many doctors advise people to take a multivitamin supplement daily. Drinking adequate fluids is necessary to improve circulation. Fast or processed food should be avoided. It is also recommended that you should reduce salt intake since excess salt causes the body to retain more water, and this may lead to the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. Too much salt can also impair your circulation and cause the blood vessels under the skin to appear blue.
Dark circles can appear in heavy smokers because smoking leads to vascular or blood vessel problems that make your blood vessels appear more prominent and bluer.
Last but not least, relaxation can help you get rid of stress and anxiety that are preventing you from sleeping, eating and resting properly. Adrenal issues can be a major cause. Hence, relaxation can lead to very positive results for many people who suffer from these dark circles.
In conclusion, if you have these dark circles under your eyes, do not worry. Simply, eat healthy food, sleep well, quit smoking, take a multivitamin supplement, reduce your exposures, and finally relax! If you would like help finding out if food sensitivities are contributing to your dark eye circles, Click Here to set up a free consultation.