You may think that your greying hair and smile lines are the biggest thing holding you back from getting carded at the liquor store, but research shows that it is actually the dark circles under your eyes.
Most people see any darkness under the eyes as a signal of tiredness and old age. But the ironic thing is that most of the time dark circles are caused by factors other than age and lack of sleep.
In fact, allergies have become one of the leading causes of dark, sagging or bagging circles underneath the thin skin of your eyes.
Which Allergies Cause Dark Circles?
Doctors have found that allergic reactions to specific foods are most likely to cause blood to pool underneath your eyes, forming dark circles.
If you have a predisposition to allergic reactions from foods like soy, wheat, egg whites, dairy products or yeast you may be able to blame your dark circles on allergies.
Not only can this allergic reaction lead to the pooling of blood, but it can also cause your eyes to become irritated, leading you to itch and irritate them even more.
If you suffer from hay fever or any seasonal allergies, you might be bringing the dark circles upon yourself.
According to this article, when the body combats allergens histamines are released which can lead to “the formation of a rash, dilated blood vessels, fluid leaks, puffy and watery eyes, wheezing, muscle spasm and runny nose.”
Any of these symptoms can lead to further irritation that causes dark circles to form under your eyes. Because the skin underneath your eyes is so thin, any aggravation caused by itching or rubbing can cause real damage and lead to those dreaded dark circles.
How to Treat It
Although many traditional remedies like cucumber slices or cooled teabags might not hurt your allergies, there are definitely better ways to reduce your reactions.
One of the most effective ways is by finding an antihistamine that works for your specific allergies.
By blocking your body’s overreaction to these allergens, you can ensure that you won’t have as many side effects and the blood will flow normally without pooling underneath your eyes.
If you are aware that you suffer from allergies, another way to combat your reactions is, of course, by staying away from the allergens that cause these adverse reactions.
Pay close attention to when your dark circles flare up and try to link it with things that happened earlier that day. Because the window between contact and reaction is so small, it shouldn’t be too hard to recognize a pattern and identify what is causing that reaction.
So rather than letting your dark circles, caused by allergic reactions, age you any more; find out which anti-allergy method will work for you and stick to it so that you can live allergy free and look younger, not to mention feel better!
