You went to bed with a beautiful face, but in the morning you see the puffy fish in the mirror. Many women face a problem of facial swelling. You probably don’t like it, because edema strongly affects your appearance. Edema makes you look tired and unattractive.
Facial swelling is a common symptom that has a lot of possible causes. It can result from an improper sleeping position. The reasons aren’t always so evident and harmless. Sometimes facial swelling can be a sign of an underlying health condition.
5 common causes of facial swelling and some recommendations on how to relieve it are outlined below.
1. Cushing’s syndrome
Cortisol is an essential hormone responsible for regulating blood pressure, blood sugar, and other processes. Cushing’s syndrome is a condition in which the production of cortisol increases dramatically. This condition is rare and can be diagnosed when at least three peaks of hormone release were detected.
Cushing’s syndrome often causes facial swelling. Along with swelling, you may experience severe headaches, excessive hair growth, irregular menstrual periods, and stretch marks all over the body. This condition affects women nearly three times more often than men. Untreated Cushing’s syndrome can contribute to heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Cushing’s syndrome treatment includes medicational therapy to regulate cortisol levels. Therapy helps reduce symptoms associated with the disease.
2. Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the eyelids membrane that covers the white part of your eyeball. The most common triggers of conjunctivitis include viruses, allergies, bacterias, and even contact lenses. This condition typically causes swelling and redness around the eyes and itching. Because of inflammation, the whites of your eye become reddish or pink.
The treatment of conjunctivitis depends on the cause. It could be a viral or bacterial infection. For viral conjunctivitis treatment, the doctor will prescribe you supportive therapy. Supportive therapy includes applying cold compresses, and eye drops to moisturize eyes. To cure bacterial conjunctivitis, you will need antibiotic eye drops.
3. Allergy
Allergy is a hypersensitivity of the immune system to certain foods, medications, and other typically harmless substances that surround you. Common allergy symptoms often include face swelling, runny nose, difficulty breathing, and rushes. If you experience difficulty breathing, you need to call the doctor immediately. This symptom is considered a medical emergency.
For non-urgent cases, you can take antihistamines to relieve the symptoms. Keep in mind that even if symptoms are successfully relieved, you still need to see your allergist. For chronic allergy symptoms, the doctor may offer immunotherapy.
4. Excessive attention to your skin
When cleansing and moisturizing your face, you probably use active substances like benzoyl peroxide, retinol, or alpha-hydroxy acids. These ingredients have a peeling effect. When these substances contact the area around the mouth and eyes, they can contribute to irritation and swelling.
Your body needs to get used to these ingredients. You need to use no more than one new product per week. Over time, you can increase the number of skincare products. If you accidentally apply them on the skin around the eyes, then you need to wash them off with cold water immediately.
5. PMS
While some women are lucky enough to live through PMS without symptoms, others struggle with frequent mood changes, abdominal aches, and swelling. Before the beginning of menstruation, the level of progesterone in your body rises dramatically. Excessive progesterone levels can contribute to water retention in the body and swelling.
To reduce pre-menstrual swelling, you need to reduce the intake of salty foods and drink plenty of water. This will help prevent water retention in the body and swelling.
