Allergic Shiners
Allergic shiners, also known as allergic facies or periorbital venous congestion, result in dark circles forming under the eyes due to allergies. The body’s immune system reacts to allergic rhinitis or seasonal allergies, causing the blood to flow into widened tiny blood vessels under the eye. However, in some cases, blood pools into the veins and gets congested, causing it to fail to drain properly and leak into the surrounding tissues. This results in sinus inflammation and the under-eye area’s darkening. These darkened under-eyes are dark, purplish bruises that look worse than they are.
When people with allergies rub or scratch sensitive skin under the eyes, the allergy also worsens, resulting in the recession of the skin and the formation of dark circles.
Allergic shiners don’t usually cause serious complications, though they can look ugly. They are also pretty easy to treat, requiring a simple intake of allergy medications and avoidance of allergy triggers. Treatment of the allergy should get rid of the sunken eyes as well.
