Sara Keenan
We all know how it feels to wake up with huge dark circles looming under our eyes - usually the sign of a few too many late nights or a particularly stressful period at work.
Fatigue, ageing, lack of sleep or eye strain are usually what people pinpoint whenever finding the cause of their under eye darkness.
Vitamin deficiencies are also associated with dark circles including vitamins E, D, K vitamin, A, and B12. In addition to that, iron deficiency is also a root cause of dark circles.
However, while dark under-eye circles are usually harmless and linked to sleep deprivation, they could indicate a more serious health issue.
Advert
TikToker @lovesss_youu24 is a prime example, as she was told by her dermatologist after he took one glance at her and confirmed that her dark circles were due to a health problem passed down some a relative.
She explained: “He goes, ‘You wanna know how I know?’ and I go, ‘Yeah!’. He says, ‘You have allergic shiners under your eyes’.
"I thought that was just because I don’t get sleep, but he goes, ‘No that’s actually from the congestion of your blood vessels. They produce a pigment and it shows that allergies run in the family’.”
According to Healthline, allergic shiners, also known as allergic facies or periorbital venous congestion, are dark circles under the eyes that can be caused by allergies such as hay fever, dust allergies and even some food allergies.
They are usually caused by a buildup of blood under the eyes due to swollen nasal tissues.
The symptoms of allergic shiners include round, shadowy pigmentation of the skin underneath the eyes or blue - or purple-coloured tint under the eyes, like a bruise.
If the dark circles are caused by allergies, there will likely be other allergy systems such as watery, red, itchy eyes, itchy throat or roof of the mouth, sneezing, nasal congestion and sinus pressure.
Although allergic shiners are usually not a major health concern, Verywell Health advises there might be some reasons you may want to talk to your healthcare provider.
These include if your allergy symptoms are keeping you from doing your daily activities, you have signs of infection such as high fever, green nasal discharge or sinus pain and if only one eye is affected and getting worse.
Home remedies such as placing a cold compress under eyes, using allergy-proof blankets, sheets and pillowcases, using a dehumidifier or using a HEPA air filter can help treat the allergic shiners.
The NHS also advises calling 999 if your allergies become life-threatening and you experience sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, throat, or tongue, if you have difficulty breathing, a tight feeling in the throat, extreme confusion, drowsiness, or dizziness.