The most common eye health complaint involves puffiness close to the eye, ordinarily in the eyelids. There are several causes that lids swell, mostly the cause isn't very serious. Once your physician discovers the cause, these small ailments can often be corrected in your home.

Everyday reasons of puffiness are not sleeping well, allergic reactions, and excess salt in the diet. Not as common, a bacterial infection, disease, or continuing health concern sometimes have localized or general puffiness near the eye.

Everyday Reasons

Allergies: During an allergy attack, the eye can be watery or dry and scratchy, and red. The lid can puff up, adding to the tenderness. Apply a cloth moistened with cool water, or cool compress, near the eye to bring down swelling, and take prescription medication to counter allergic symptoms or avoid the cause of your reaction.

Poor Rest: Less rest than needed, waking often during rest (broken rest), or oversleeping can leave you with puffed up eyelids. A a cloth moistened with cool water will bring down puffiness.

Extra Sodium: Extra sodium in your diet will cause you to hold fluids, leading to puffiness of the lids as well as other parts of the body, such as the hands and feet. Moderate warmth held on the puffiness will assist the extra fluid drain from the skin cells and reenter the blood.

Less Common Causes

Styes: Styes (Hordeola) are infections. When bacteria that normally lives on the skin enters the follicle of an eyelash, the follicle becomes obstructed and the skin around it gets swollen and red. Frequently the lump creates a yellow core. Styes are ordinarily painless if left alone and ordinarily go away on their own. A warm compress can assist clear up the infection more quickly, or your physician might give you antibiotics if needed.

Mononucleosis ("kissing disease" or "mono"): Mono is a viral infection that can produce swelling in the glands, fever, and fatigue. A cool compress will bring down swelling of the eyes and soother the fever both.

Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism is a condition caused by the thyroid gland’s inability to function the right way. There can be many reasons for hypothyroidism, and puffiness in the lids is usually caused by fluid retention in the skin. Using a warm compress can help ease puffiness.