What causes darkening around the eyes?
Apr 19, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Cui Xin
Introduction
If darkening around the eyes is caused by frequent熬夜 (staying up late) or excessive eye strain, avoid staying up late and reduce the amount of time spent using your eyes. If it is due to blepharitis, follow your doctor's instructions to use medications such as levofloxacin eye drops or erythromycin eye ointment. If caused by eyelid injury, use medications such as cefazolin for injection or cefotaxime sodium for injection as directed by your physician. In cases of eyelid laceration, after local disinfection, cover the affected eye or suture the wound edges together.
Darkness around the eyes may be caused by physiological factors or pathological conditions, such as blepharitis or eyelid trauma. Different management approaches should be adopted depending on the underlying cause.
I. Physiological Factors
If periorbital skin darkening results from factors like chronic sleep deprivation or excessive eye strain leading to local circulatory impairment and insufficient oxygen supply, it's important to avoid staying up late, reduce eye usage, and apply warm compresses with a towel to improve local blood circulation.
II. Pathological Factors
1. Blepharitis
When blepharitis is present, inflammation irritates the local skin tissue of the eye, causing poor circulation and localized pigmentation that leads to darkening around the eyes. It is advisable to maintain good eyelid hygiene and, under medical guidance, use topical antibiotics such as levofloxacin eye drops, erythromycin eye ointment, or ciprofloxacin eye drops to treat the infection and reduce ocular inflammation.
2. Eyelid Trauma
If eyelid injury causes orbital bleeding, with subcutaneous hematoma spreading beneath the periorbital skin resulting in darkened appearance, treatment should focus on managing the eyelid trauma. In cases involving hematoma, apply cold compresses within the first 24 hours after injury, followed by warm compresses after 24 hours. Intravenous antibiotics such as cefradine for injection, cefazolin sodium for injection, or cefotaxime sodium for injection may be administered as directed by a physician. For lacerations parallel to the eyelid margin, follow medical advice: disinfect locally and cover the affected eye. If the wound is irregular or large, preserve tissue as recommended by the doctor and carefully suture the wound edges using fine sutures.
In addition, liver cirrhosis could also be a potential cause. It is recommended to seek evaluation at a reputable medical institution’s ophthalmology department to determine the exact cause and receive appropriate treatment under medical supervision.
