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Question answered:18/06/07 Warning! this question is over two years old.
We found very little information on this topic from sources aimed at clinicians.
A site, Wrong Diagnosis, has a list of possible causes of dark circles under eyes [1], these are:
“Aging
Allergic shiners
Allergies - dark circles under the eyes (Allergic shiners)
Black eye - bruising in the eye
Dehydration - dark rings around the eyes
Dust allergy
Dust mite allergies - dark circles under the eyes (Allergic shiners)
Eczema - allergic shiners (dark rings around the eyes)
Hay fever - dark circles under the eyes (Allergic shiners)
Inherited eye blood vessel condition - dark circles under the eyes run in families.
Mold allergies - dark circles under the eyes (Allergic shiners)
Mold allergy
Pallor - the paleness of the skin may accentuate the dark rings.
Persistent eye rubbing
Sleep difficulty - see the many causes of sleep difficulty symptoms (e.g. stress, depression, sleep disorders, etc.).”
The Mayo Clinic has a patient information resources on the topic [2], the first two paragraphs report (see URL below for full article):
“Almost everyone gets dark circles under their eyes from time to time. Dark circles under eyes usually are temporary and not a medical concern.
You may be surprised to learn that fatigue usually isn't the cause of dark circles. Instead, the most common cause is nasal congestion. When your nose is congested, veins that usually drain from your eyes into your nose become widened (dilated) and darker.”
Finally, another patient information resource (The University of Michigan) reports [3]
“The most common cause of dark bluish circles under the eyes is congestion of the nose. The veins from the eyes drain into the veins of the nose. If the nose is blocked up, the veins around the eyes become larger and darker. To understand what's going on, we need to look at the nose.
These dark circles are sometimes called allergic shiners because nasal congestion is usually caused by nasal allergy or hay fever. Dark circles are also caused by chronic sinus infections, recurrent colds, or blockage of the nose by large adenoids. (If the dark circles are caused by large adenoids, your child probably breathes mostly through his mouth instead of his nose.) Dark circles under the eyes are especially noticeable in children with fair complexions.
Overall, dark circles under the eyes are not a sign of poor health or troubled sleep.”
Due to the multiple possible causes it is not practical for the NLH Q&A Service to search for possibly treatments.
References
1) http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/sym/dark_circles_under_eyes.htm
2) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dark-circles-under-eyes/AN00423
3) http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_darkcirc_hhg.htm
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