Puffy Eyes

Swelling around the eyes — usually morning fluid pooling after sleep, salt, alcohol, allergies, or crying, and worse with age as the tissues around the eyes loosen. Because eyelid skin is the thinnest on the body, small fluid shifts show up dramatically here.

Evidence synthesis: Periorbital oedema from fluid retention is the dominant benign mechanism — salt intake, alcohol, and supine sleep are established contributors, and head-of-bed elevation and cold compresses reduce morning puffiness in dermatology guidance. Allergic conjunctivitis is a major driver (itching and redness are the tells), with antihistamines evidence-based. Age-related puffiness reflects fat pad herniation and tissue laxity — structural, not fluid, and resistant to lifestyle measures. No oral supplement has trial evidence for reducing eye puffiness. The medical differentials that matter: unilateral painful swelling (infection — preseptal cellulitis, needs antibiotics), and bilateral puffiness with leg oedema or foamy urine (kidney) or with weight gain and cold intolerance (thyroid) — all warrant testing.