Why do I always have dark circles under my eyes?

Waking up with dark circles under the eyes is one thing, but what about when they’re still there at noon? Maybe it’s time to go see your optometrist.

Having dark circles under the eyes does not always mean a serious medical problem, but looking tired all the time can make you feel old and drab.

• There are a number of things that can cause you to have that bagged out, overwhelmed look; some of the most common ones are trouble sleeping at night, poor diet, or too much caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, salt or other unhealthy substances.

Some health conditions can also enter into play, especially allergies and conjunctivitis, which cause itching.

• Rubbing the sensitive eye area can cause irritation and dark circles under the eyes.
• Sometimes the dark circles under the eyes are just a matter of genes or an abnormality in the blood vessels in the delicate skin of the eye area.

Is there swelling or puffiness as well as dark circles under the eyes? Try covering the eyes with wet tea bags. The tannic acid in tea helps to control inflammation.

• Take a quarter of an hour for yourself and pour some boiling water over two tea bags.
• Once you’ve drained them and let them cool off, lie down and place the tea bags on your closed eyes for 10 to 15 minutes.

If none of the easy solutions work to alleviate the dark circles under your eyes, visit your optometrist. Here is what will happen at your appointment.

1. The optometrist will interview you about your medical history and your overall health. This might include questions about your immediate family members’ health.
2. He or she will then check your eyes with specialized optometry instruments. The optometrist will check your sight, eye alignment and inner eye.
3. Based on the results obtained, he or she will develop a treatment plan that could include prescription lenses or medication.

Your optometrist can also identify certain types of general health problems that might be causing dark circles under the eyes. You’ll receive plenty of valuable tips to help you prevent eye strain and ease vision problems.

Even if you don’t have problems with dark circles under the eyes, it’s recommended that children under 18 years of age and people over 65 have an eye examination every year.

• Although eye problems tend to occur more as you age, eye diseases can affect everyone.
• And since many optometrists now offer the possibility of making an appointment for an eye exam on their websites, all that’s keeping you from having the healthiest eyes possible is a few simple clicks.