Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesAllergic Shiners vs. Black EyesWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Allergic Shiners vs. Black Eyes
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Treatment
Allergic shiners are dark circles under the eyes that are related tonasal and sinus congestion. While they often occur with seasonal allergies, allergic shiners can affect anyone who experiences this type of congestion for any reason.
This article explores why you might have dark circles under your eyes during allergy season or with congestion, as well as how you can treat allergic shiners.
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What Are the Symptoms of Allergic Shiners?
Symptoms will likely include those related to the eyes and those related to allergies. The symptoms of allergic shiners include dark, discolored circles (blue-ish or purple) under your eyes that look like a bruise.
What Are the Causes of Allergic Shiners?
When the nasal passages are congested, it increases pressure in the nose. The pressure makes it harder for the blood in the face to drain back to the heart.
Blood pools in the veins and capillaries under the eyes, making the skin in that area look dark. The pooled blood shows up more than it would in other parts of the body because the skin under the eyes is very thin.
In addition to the blood pooling, fluid from inside the veins can also slowly seep into the tissue under the eyes, making them look puffy.
Anything that triggers nasal/sinus congestion can give you dark circles under your eyes, including:
Other conditions can also cause dark circles under the eye, such as:
How Are Allergic Shiners Different From Black Eyes?
Allergic shiners are not like a bruise. The appearance of dark circles from allergies should go away once the nasal congestion is better and the blood flow is back to normal.
Another difference is that dark circles from allergies usually appear under both eyes rather than just one eye, as is often the case with a black eye.
Allergic shiners are usually not a major health concern, but there are some reasons you would want to talk to your healthcare provider:
How Allergic Shiners Are Treated
One way to reduce allergic shiners is to figure out what your triggers are and avoid them.
Someself-care methodsfor allergy symptom relief you can try may include:
Dark Circles Under the Eyes
Summary
Dark circles under your eyes from allergies are common, especially if you have nasal congestion as a symptom. You can’t always prevent allergic shiners, but trying to avoid your allergy triggers and using medication and home remedies to treat your symptoms can help.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergy symptoms.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a black eye?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergic rhinitis: reducing allergen exposure in a changing environment.Al-Rabia MW.Food-induced immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic rhinitis. J Microsc Ultrastruct. 2016 Apr-Jun;4(2):69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jmau.2015.11.004Matsui MS, Schalka S, Vanderover G, et al.Physiological and lifestyle factors contributing to risk and severity of peri-orbital dark circles in the Brazilian population. An Bras Dermatol. 2015 Jul-Aug;90(4):494-503. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20153520American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Eye allergy.UCLA.Allergic rhinitis.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I eliminate my eye allergies?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Hay fever/rhinitis.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergy symptoms.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a black eye?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergic rhinitis: reducing allergen exposure in a changing environment.Al-Rabia MW.Food-induced immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic rhinitis. J Microsc Ultrastruct. 2016 Apr-Jun;4(2):69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jmau.2015.11.004Matsui MS, Schalka S, Vanderover G, et al.Physiological and lifestyle factors contributing to risk and severity of peri-orbital dark circles in the Brazilian population. An Bras Dermatol. 2015 Jul-Aug;90(4):494-503. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20153520American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Eye allergy.UCLA.Allergic rhinitis.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I eliminate my eye allergies?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Hay fever/rhinitis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergy symptoms.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a black eye?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergic rhinitis: reducing allergen exposure in a changing environment.Al-Rabia MW.Food-induced immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic rhinitis. J Microsc Ultrastruct. 2016 Apr-Jun;4(2):69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jmau.2015.11.004Matsui MS, Schalka S, Vanderover G, et al.Physiological and lifestyle factors contributing to risk and severity of peri-orbital dark circles in the Brazilian population. An Bras Dermatol. 2015 Jul-Aug;90(4):494-503. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20153520American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Eye allergy.UCLA.Allergic rhinitis.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I eliminate my eye allergies?American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Hay fever/rhinitis.
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergy symptoms.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is a black eye?
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Allergic rhinitis: reducing allergen exposure in a changing environment.
Al-Rabia MW.Food-induced immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic rhinitis. J Microsc Ultrastruct. 2016 Apr-Jun;4(2):69-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jmau.2015.11.004
Matsui MS, Schalka S, Vanderover G, et al.Physiological and lifestyle factors contributing to risk and severity of peri-orbital dark circles in the Brazilian population. An Bras Dermatol. 2015 Jul-Aug;90(4):494-503. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20153520
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Eye allergy.
UCLA.Allergic rhinitis.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.How can I eliminate my eye allergies?
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.Hay fever/rhinitis.
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